Beating the Frost
To protect future harvest farmers on the large apricot farmlands use an old and rarely seen technique of torching to heat the open air when ground frosts endangers the fruit.
Nowadays cold nights may occur more and more later in the year. Ground frosts at dawn are common even in March, but in the last years due to climate changes they appear even in early April, when the fruit trees are blooming.
When the temperature falls a few degrees below the zero, flowers could be destroyed by the cold air. As a result, 80% of the annual fruit harvest could be damaged, this affects negatively not just the farmers families but the whole industry as well.
This year in Hungary on the 2nd of April, the temperature at the dawn was record breaking, minus 6 degrees Celsius. To protect future harvest farmers on the large apricot farmlands use a special, old and rarely seen technique of torching.
In farmlands across Hungary based on the weather forecast before the night frost arrives, farmers go out to the fields and put giant can candles, filled with liquid paraffin next to each tree, which is blooming in this period. These candles burn for 10-12 hours and heats the surrounding air. The heat and the smoke creates bubble-like microclime around the parcels, and keeps temperature above minus 0,8 degrees to protect the apricot buds from the frost.
Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
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Heat sheath.
Full Moon lit the farmland in ice cold night, while smoke and temperature created capsule above the field which protect the apricot trees from the frost. Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
Ground frosts at dawn are common even in March, but in the last years due to climate changes they appear even in early April, when the fruit trees are blooming. To protect future harvest farmers on the large apricot farmlands use an old and rarely seen technique of torching to heat the open air when ground frosts endangers the fruit.
Light a fire.
Mom lights the fire from candle to candle. Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
When the frost arrives, the whole farmer family together with friends, are out on the plot to light the fire as quickly as possible in the thousands candles filled with liquid paraffin.
Spread the heat.
Son of the local farmer run with torch from huge candle to candle, to light the fire before expected frost arrives. Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
Flowers are resistant until -1 celsius, but forecast is about-5. At this temperature flowers could be destroyed, as a result, 80% of the annual fruit harvest could be damaged.
Smoke and heat bubble.
Giant can candles, filled with liquid paraffin next to each tree, which is blooming in this period. These candles burn for 10-12 hours and heats the surrounding air. The heat and the smoke creates bubble-like microclime around the parcels, and keeps temperature above minus 0,8 degrees to protect the peach buds from the frost.
Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
Apricot flowers.
Flowers of apricot trees with bokeh, created by surrounded giant candles, are protected from the frost by bubble-like microclime created by heat and the smoke. Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
Flowers are resistant until -1 celsius, but forecast is about-5. At this temperature flowers could be destroyed, as a result, 80% of the annual fruit harvest could be damaged.
Line inspection.
Time is 2 am, another son checking the line after he refill all huge cans with liquid paraffin in his dedicated row. Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
Flames will last until morning and will protect the trees from frost. Cans lightning all night long, but there is a second night below the zero, and they needs to be refill with liquid paraffin.
Fire sheet.
Top down view of heated farmland reveal that just those species of apricot required heating which are just in the flowering period. It looks like music sheet. Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
Thermometer and the holy God.
Thermometer placed on the bottom of the cross beside small chapel which is located between two plots.
“Now we can only trust the thermometer and the holy god” - said Tibor, owner of the plantation and showed me where the thermometer is kept. Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
Measure the climate change.
Instead of expected -5, lowest temperature was -6,6 this morning. This was a record breaking temperature in Hungary on the April 2nd. But sensitive trees was protected by all night candling. Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
Apricot valley.
Valley covered with smoke captured right before the sunrise, which protected huge apricot farmlands from the frost during the record breaking cold night. Hungary, Závod, April 2, 2020.
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