Frost Inhibition on Turfgrass
ANTONIO J. PALAZZO, TIMOTHY J. CARY, SUSAN E. HARDY, AND JOYCE A. NAGLE
areas during periods when the leaf tissue is frozen
INTRODUCTION
or by a light application of water (called syringing)
Frost is a common problem for golf courses in
in the early morning to thaw the frozen turfgrass
the early morning hours in the spring and fall.
tissues (Bruneau et al. 1992).
When frost occurs, course managers may close
play to prevent injury to the turf. Walking on
frosted turf turns it a dark bluish color initially
OBJECTIVE
and kills the leaf tissue, eventually causing an
The objective of this study was to evaluate the
unsightly appearance. The daily delay in opening
effectiveness of a recently introduced frost-
courses until the frost has melted reduces income
inhibition product called FROST-B-GONE (FBG) in
and causes ill will among the golfers.
preventing the formation of frost and subsequent
Frost is caused by water vapor depositing as
damage on turfgrass. The material was studied at
ice crystals on plant leaf tissue. When air cools, its
concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% and applied
ability to hold water vapor decreases until the air
at a rate of 1629 L ha1 (174 gal. acre1). This was a
is saturated at the dew point or frost point. When
cooperative effort between the U.S. Army Cold
objects, such as grass leaves, cool independently
Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory
of the air to either the dew point or the frost point,
(CRREL) and the FROST-B-GONE Company.
water droplets or ice crystals grow on the cooled
This study was also an excellent opportunity
leaves even if the air itself is not saturated. Dew
for CRREL to develop processes to artificially pro-
forms at temperatures above freezing, and frozen
duce frost on plants. The methods used here may
dew occurs when the condensed droplets cool
prove useful in testing the frost tolerance of plants
below 0C (32F). Frost forms when saturation
being developed under several of CRREL's land
occurs below freezing and water vapor deposits
rehabilitation research work units. New plant cult-
directly as ice crystals on the cold leaves at the
ivars that are more frost tolerant will be more
frost-point temperature without an intervening
adaptable to the military's training mission in cold
liquid stage. Cooling of grass leaves to saturation
regions. The frost-producing techniques will also
is enhanced on clear nights, which encourage
be useful in studies on real-time site characteris-
deeper radiant cooling, and is diminished on
tics. Remote-sensing signatures of frosted plants
cloudy nights because clouds are typically
may be correlated to early morning air-soil tem-
warmer than the clear sky (Beard 1973).
peratures in future studies.
During frost, icing occurs inside the leaf blade
or on the leaf surface or both. Pressure on the rigid
frozen tissues caused by human or vehicular traf-
MATERIALS AND METHODS
fic disrupts the brittle protoplasm--the cellular
structure inside the leaf. This leaf injury does not
Frost production
CRREL has circulated ethylene glycol within
cause permanent injury to the turf because the
metal plates to freeze soils and pavements (Eaton
turfgrass crowns readily produce new leaves.
1988, 1989), but we found nothing in the literature
The leaf damage can be avoided either by with-
about producing artificial frost on turfgrasses. The
holding or diverting traffic from the turfgrass
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