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Figure 1: Source: FrostBoss Frost Fans and Visual Crossing Weather API
A further study of the data from individual fans shows the impact of frost on individual sections of the orchard. Figure 3 below shows,“ Fan X” at the Riverland orchard stabilised canopy temperatures at 0.9 ° C when activated during each period of frost conditions over September 15-18.
Expert insights Dr Stu Powell, a climate scientist and frost expert from FrostConsult, highlights the importance of this data.“ After a frost, producers can review fan data to pinpoint exactly which orchard sections were affected and which remain unaffected,” he said.“ This eliminates the guesswork of scouting up and down rows for damaged areas.” The data from August-September also shows frost fans were automatically activated for 32 days, compared to the official 19 days of sub-zero conditions recorded by Bureau of Meteorology stations in the regions.
Figure 2: Source: FrostBoss Frost Fans and Visual Crossing Weather API
“ This shows conditions in the orchards can be significantly colder than conditions around BoM weather stations,” Dr Powell said.“ This is particularly important for future almond plantings, providing more accurate information around climate conditions and the issues producers may face.” Dr Powell says the value of the data will be further realised when yield monitoring technology matches the granularity of frost fan weather station data.“ Once we can monitor harvest and yield at this level, producers will have an incredibly powerful tool for managing production and predicting outcomes," he said.“ These fans have become more than just tools for frost mitigation, they are essential assets in the modern almond orchard, providing precise data that empowers producers to protect their crops, optimise yields and plan with confidence for future seasons.”
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Fan Operation September 15th-18th
23
18
Temperature(° C)
13
8
3
-2 14th 18:00
14th 22:10
15th 01:30
15th 03:45
15th 05:25
15th 07:00
15th 11:00
15th 16:00
Figure 3: Source: FrostBoss Frost Fans
15th 21:00
16th 00:40
16th 03:50
16th 05:40
16th 07:20
16th 11:00
16th 16:00
16th 20:40
17th 00:00
17th 01:40
17th 03:20
Running Canopy Temperature Tower Temperature
17th 05:00
17th 06:40
17th 09:00
17th 14:00
17th 19:00
17th 22:30
18th 00:50
18th 02:16
18th 04:10
18th 06:00 industry. australianalmonds. com. au
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