USE OF PROTEIN-BASED FOAMS TO PROTECT PLANTS AGAINST FROST

Abstract

The application of fire-fighting protein-based foams for use as protective insulation of plants against frost damage is described.The foams, prepared from suitable water dilutions of commercially available hydrolyzed-protein concentrates containing a stabilizer and supplemented with 1% gelatin, when applied as a cover over small plots of tomato and Coleus, permitted survival of the lower parts of the plants after overnight frosts that reached 20°F (−6.6 °C). Temperature recordings in the foam and in air in control plots at the soil level indicated that a 6 in. (15.2 cm) layer of foam provided 8 hours protection against the freezing temperatures. Temperature differences between the control plot and the foam were as high as 15.8°F (9.0 °C).The foams were non-toxic, clung to foliage when applied, but could be washed off easily with water. If stability of the foams can be improved and equipment provided for rapid dispensing of the foams it is suggested that the use of foams for frost protection of seedlings in large crop plantings or of sensitive parts of fruit trees be investigated further.