When investing in infrastructure to minimise the risk of frost damage to valuable fruit crops, growers need access to comprehensive knowledge, extensive experience, and the most accurate data available to determine which options best suit their crops and blocks.
To support this, Fruitfed Supplies made a strategic decision in mid-2024 to purchase advanced frost assessment equipment.
Richard Flatman, National Product Manager for Machinery at Fruitfed Supplies, says, “The frost assessment equipment enables us to continue our trial work across all horticultural crops, produce comprehensive frost assessment studies for our clients, and uphold Fruitfed’s commitment to continuous improvement.
“Recognising that not all frosts are the same and that they behave differently under various nets and crop types, we plan to conduct trials on crops in each region alongside client assessments over the coming years.”
Richard works closely with Ben Daking, Orchard-Rite’s Australia-based Research Development and Dealer Support Manager, who visits growers across New Zealand four to six times a year.
With over 25 years of experience in frost protection, Ben brings a wealth of knowledge to the wider Fruitfed Supplies team. Ben’s expertise spans a wide range of technical and functional aspects of frost fighting and frost fans including:
- Fundamental characteristics and performance of frost fans
- Crop and site-specific assessments and studies
- In-field testing of fans across diverse conditions
- Understanding the interaction between fans and their environment
- Interpretation of localised interactions on performance and protection
When the frost assessment equipment arrived in 2024 and set-up, Ben and Richard started conducting frost assessments in key
wine-growing regions such as Blenheim and Hastings.
“The data we collect from the equipment enables us to generate detailed reports after a minimum of five frost events. While we can’t publish full reports, we’ve included a few excerpts to demonstrate the kind of information derived from a frost assessment.”
Assessment details
- Installation period: 12/06/2024 to 28/07/2024
- Conditions: Temperatures fell below 0°C on 14 nights during this period.
- Frost events: Eight of these nights exhibited perfect frost conditions, combining sub-zero temperatures with settled drift and clearly developed inversions and were used for this assessment.
Data collection equipment (Figure 1)
Several key pieces of equipment are used to collect data, including:
27 loggers (shown in white) placed approximately 1.1 m above the ground, representing the proposed lower cordon height. They record a shielded temperature every five minutes.
Two 15 m tall inversion/drift towers (shown in yellow) measure at 8.5 m above ground level and shielded air temperatures were recorded concurrently at 1.1 m and 15 m every five minutes.
Air movement during frost events
Both towers were fitted with an ultrasonic anemometer approximately 9 m above the ground to record air movement or drift.
Results for both towers are shown in Figure 2.
Using the data for optimal protection
Ben and Richard collate the data into comprehensive reports, which are used to provide multiple frost fan placement designs to discuss with the client.
“Together, we’ll collaborate to achieve the best outcomes for their specific sites,” explains Richard. “Orchard-Rite offers two types of wind machines, tailored to the severity of frost experienced.
Additionally, we provide tilt wedge kits, contour heads for undulating blocks, and dog leg towers for steep terrain.
“With 30 years of experience in viticulture, I understand the impact of losing a crop. My role is to work closely with clients, providing accurate information to assess and mitigate risks effectively.”
