Spring marks the beginning of the stone fruit harvest, and peaches, nectarines and Paraguayan peaches begin to be found in supermarkets. Unfortunately, it is a time characterized by a lot of climatic instability, surprising us with adverse conditions: frost, rain, hail.

The climate is undoubtedly a fundamental aspect that influences the cultivation of any type of fruit, and in the specific case of stone fruit, specific environmental conditions must be met, among which is the temperate temperature. This is essential for the fruit to grow properly and develop its quality characteristics.

This year in particular, the weather has endangered the harvest of these fruits in the different producing regions, due to the late low temperatures. Frosts cause damage to these; depending on the temperature and duration of these, and also; the state of development of these.

When low temperatures threaten and strong frosts are expected, different agricultural strategies must be used to protect the productions.

In our case we use two techniques: bonfires and sprinkling.

The first technique seeks heat through the bonfires precisely by making fire near the trees to heat the cold air that is in contact with the fruit plants, thus preventing the temperature from dropping to excessively extreme levels.

The second technique is through sprinkler irrigation, creating a layer of ice around the fruits. With this, an insulating layer of ice is achieved that protects the fruit and the tree, keeping it at 0º, and therefore it will not be affected by the sub-zero temperatures that may exist in the external environment.