Plant frost hardiness

Niki T, Sakai A Ultrastructural changes related to frost hardiness in the cortical parenchyma cells from mulberry twigs. Plant Cell Physiol 1981 22 171-183. 

Raffinose occurs only at low concentrations in the leaves of plants, but accumulates in the storage organs during the process of development. It has been generally observed that the level of raffinose increases as the tissue loses water this 108-1i3,u6-m js a characteristic feature of maturation of seeds and the hardening process of winter-hardy plants. The hardiness of several plants towards desiccation and elevated temperature may be compared to the property of frost resistance.125-134 When the heat resistance reaches a maximum in the summer, the frost resistance is at its minimum. 

Hatano, S., Kabata, K., Yoshimoto, M. and Sadakane, H. (1982) Studies on frost hardiness in Chlorella-ellipsoidea. 8. Accumulation of free fatty-acids during hardnening of Chlorella-ellipsoidea. Plant Physiol., 70, 1173-1177. 

Caused by Freezing and Its Relationship to Frost Hardiness Problems, Plant Physiol 1964, 39, 712-719. 

Protection by Changes in Membrane Structure. Development of frost hardiness in plants is often accompanied by an increase in membrane lipids, particularly phospholipids (77, 78, 79). An increase in the degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid components of phospholipids also has been observed by some (78,79) but not by all investigators (77). Attempts to correlate increases in membrane lipids with hardiness of thylakoids from cabbage leaves have so far failed (80). Also, what effect an increase in membrane lipids may have on hardiness is not yet understood. 

As it is known [2, 3], wild plants from natural ecosystems have such valuable traits as longevity, frost hardiness, drought resistance and high concentration of nutrient elements. 

Joh T, Yoshida T, Yoshimoto M, Miyamoto T, Hatano S. Composition and positional distribution of fatty acids in polar lipids from Chlorella ellipsoidea differing in chilling susceptibility and frost hardiness. Physiol Plant 1993 89 285-290,... 

Cape JN, Fowler D, Eamus D, Murray MB, Sheppard LJ, Leith ID. (1990). Effects of acid mist and ozone on frost hardiness of Norway spruce seedlings. In Payer HD, Pfirrmann T, Mathy P. editors. Environmental Research with Plants in Closed Chambers), Air Pollution Research Report No. 26, Commisson of the European Communities, DGXII, Brussels 1990 331-335. 

It is thought that altered ionic relations and affected membrane permeabilites may lead to several unspecific responses. As mentioned above, it remains unclear how biological effects of acidic precipitation (cf, reviews of Evans, 1984, and Tukey, 1980) are caused. For example, the reported decrease of frost hardiness of seedlings of Picea rubens due to acid rain treatments (Fowler et al, 1989b) was discussed to be caused by the interception of applied S04 --, NOa , and NH4+ the individual ion(s) responsible for the effect could not be identified, - The same conclusion is assumed to be true for most unspecific plant responses due to acid rain, including affected host plant-parasite interactions (Fliickiger, 1987),... 

Yu, X.S., A.K.M. Ekramoddoullah and S. Misra. 1997. Cloning and constructing a cDNA database of genes involved in frost hardiness from western white pine needles. Plant Physiol. 114 600-606. 

Tender plants are the most susceptible to this disorder. Normally hardy plants can also be damaged if a hard frost follows warm weather that has encouraged new growth, or if a frost occurs in the summer. Plants that receive early morning sun, which melts the frost rapidly, are also vulnerable. 

Frost-resistant (hardy) plants are less sensitive than others to damage by low temperatures that is caused by water loss and intracellular, ice-crystal formation. Production of such highly hydrophilic proteins as glycoproteins would constitute a potential mechanism, through the formation of hydrogen... 

Plant out the seedlings, one by each pole. String beans are not hardy and should be planted outside only when all risk of frost has passed. Tie the seedlings onto the poles as they climb. When each plant reaches the top of its support, pinch out the tips of the plant. 

Sow sweet peas, cerinthe, and other hardy annuals early because they tolerate the cold. Half-hardy annuals, such as zinnias, cosmos, and antirrhinums, can be sown indoors and planted out once there s no risk of frost. Late-flowering annuals, such as chrysanthemums, can be sown directly in the ground. 

In order to be effective, it is important that surface modifiers are strongly adsorbed onto an available crystal face of a particle. Nature uses such mechanisms in biomineralization, e.g. in the formation of mussel shells or in the protection of hardy plants against frost. In both cases, additives control the crystal growth of either calcium carbonate or ice through selective adsorption of tailor-made proteins on certain crystal faces . ... 

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