An‑Gel pilot trial – Strategies for frost mitigation in fruit crops – IPB (Bragança)

Context

Increasing climate variability is leading to a higher occurrence of extreme events such as late frosts, which significantly affect agriculture. In northeastern Portugal, these events are one of the main causes of losses in fruit production, reducing both yield and fruit quality. In addition, traditional active protection methods often involve high costs, which limits their adoption by farmers. In this context, it is essential to develop more sustainable, accessible and efficient solutions based on passive strategies and a better understanding of the agricultural microclimate.

Pilot trial

The pilot trial is carried out in Bragança (Portugal), in experimental plots managed by the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB). Its main objective is to evaluate innovative strategies to mitigate the impact of frost on fruit crops.

The pilot focuses on two complementary lines of action:

• Use of cover crops, analysing their effect on the microclimate, in particular on heat fluxes, temperature and humidity of both soil and air.
• Application of biostimulant products, with potential to increase plant resistance to low temperatures.

To this end, an experimental system is implemented including plots with different treatments arranged in a randomized block design. The trial is supported by continuous monitoring using sensors (temperature, humidity, radiation and wind) and an automatic weather station. In addition, thermal remote sensing using drones is incorporated to characterise the spatial variability of temperature and analyse the thermal behaviour of the crop.

Actions and impact

The main actions developed in this pilot include:

• Installation of cover crops and comparison of their effect with bare soil.
• Experimental application of different biostimulants to assess their effectiveness against frost.
• Intensive microclimate monitoring (soil and air) at different levels.
• Use of advanced technology (sensors and drones) to capture high-resolution thermal and environmental data.

The expected impact of the pilot is twofold:

• At a scientific-technical level: to generate knowledge on how soil management practices and the use of biostimulants influence frost damage mitigation, as well as to improve the characterisation of the agricultural microclimate.
• At a practical level: to provide farmers with more sustainable and economically viable solutions to reduce risks, optimise production and improve the resilience of their farms to climate change.

Overall, this pilot will contribute to the development of more efficient adaptation strategies, facilitating the transfer of innovation to the agricultural sector and promoting the adoption of sustainable solutions that enhance farm resilience in the face of climate change.