Frost Protection
From the perspective of fruit growing, climate change means above all one thing: trees bud earlier, and the period during which late frosts can jeopardize the success of an entire season is getting longer. In addition to site and variety selection, it is therefore important to actively protect the sensitive blossoms from late frosts.
There are various methods for frost protection in fruit growing. The traditional methods are frost protection irrigation and heat supplied by frost candles. Gas or oil burners with blowers placed between the rows are also used. Helicopters or wind machines are likewise deployed to counter low temperatures.
However, not every method is suitable for every installation and every weather condition. Advective frost, in which cold air fronts push icy air through the tree rows, may require a different approach than radiation frost, which occurs during inversion weather conditions when warmer air layers above the cold air near the ground.
Smoke candles and fog machines are intended to replace the now-banned use of smoke and are particularly suitable for radiation frost. They are meant to have a similar effect to real fog by preventing cold air from sinking and storing thermal energy in the fine water droplets. It is important that the surface is completely enveloped in fog.
This exact coverage is achieved by VICAR radial blowers through a higher air speed combined with a lower air volume compared to other blower types. As a result, the air, as the carrier of the fog, can be distributed farther and therefore over a larger area, leading to effective and economical frost control.
Advantages of VICAR radial blowers
- greater range
- cost savings through reduced use
- long service life thanks to high-quality materials
Ideal in performance and range for frost protection in fruit and Christmas tree cultivation
In terms of performance and range, the turbines of the 440, 450, and 540 series are ideally suited for frost protection with fog.
For frost control with wind, the turbines of the 451 and 541 series are suitable.
Detailed information on the various models and the variable air outlets can be found here:
Further links
