Efficacy of Jack Frost Foam for Frost Protection on selected plant species

1
Efficacy of Jack Frost Foam for Frost Protection
on selected plant species

• R.J. McGovern C.R. Semer IV and Lajos Pecsenka
• University of Florida
• Plant medicine Program and Plant Pathology
  Department, Gainesville, Fl and American Ag.
  Foam LLC, Casper,Florida

2
Materials and Methods

• Two separate tests were conducted the first
  planted in December 2005 and the second planted
  January 2006
• Each test was comprised of six replicates of
  paired plantings for each plant species in a
  Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
• Plant species evaluated in test one were Pepper,
  Squash, Tomato, and Watermelon.
• Plant Species evaluated in test two were Pepper,
  Strawberry, Squash, Tomato, and Watermelon
• All plants (as transplants) were planted at
  recommended spacing in a twenty foot row
  surrounded by a five foot buffer.

3
Materials and Methods

• Temperature monitors were placed so that the
  temperature at the top of the canopy was recorded
  at three locations within a treated and
  non-treated plot.
• Two sets of temperature monitors were placed
  within the entire experiment.
• Based upon weather forecast of a freeze event
  the cryo-protectant foam was applied between 400
  p.m. and 500p.m. of the day before the predicted
  frost event
• The plots were examined the day before and the
  day after a freeze event
• The plot was rated for plants alive and the
  general condition of the plot.
• All data was analyzed using SAS statistical
  software.

4
Results

• The observed temperature at the meristem of the
  transplants under cover of the Jack Frost Foam
  was up to 10.7 degrees higher than observed on
  the unprotected transplants.
• Transplants under cover of Jack Frost Foam
  survived 10 hours of temperatures below 32 F
  (Test 2)
• Transplants under cover of the Jack Frost Foam
  survived temperatures as low as 22 F (Test 2)

5
Plot Layout
6
Temperature sensors
7
Hand Application of Foam
8
New Back Pack Foam Applicator
9
Foam on Treated PLots
10
Foam 24 hours after treatment
11
Untreated Plants
12
Temperature of Treated versus Untreated-Test One
13
Temperature of treated versus Untreated
plots-Test Two
14
Percent of Plant with injury after treatment with
Jack Frost Foam prior to a frost event

• Crop Test Treated Untreated
• Pepper 1 15.83A 42.5B
• Pepper 2 0.0A 67.5B
• Squash 1 25.0A 67.6B
• Squash 2 3.3A 78.3B
• Tomato 1 65.1A 97.3B
• Tomato 2 32.2A 100.0B
• Watermelon 1 16.5A 58.3B
• Watermelon 2 5.0A 81.7B
• Strawberry 2 0.7A 2.0B
• values followed by the same letter are not
  significantly different P0.05

15
Conclusions

• Timely application of Jack Frost foam to
  vegetable seedlings protected the seedlings from
  frost damage.
• Recorded temperatures inside the foam ranged from
  6 to 10 degrees higher then the temperature
  outside the foam.

16
Acknowledgements

• American Ag Foam, LLC
• Keun Ho Cho and Woudich Angong
• Doctor of Plant Medicine Program, Plant Pathology
  Department, University of Florida