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Frost Tolerance (% Survival) of Wheat, Barley and Oats

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TEMPERATURE (F)

		25		21		18		14
Cultivar	-*	*	-		-		-
				Survival
Wheat
Benito	100	100	100	95	93	23	60	10
Glenlea	100	100	90	100	73	65	56	40
Katepwa	100	100	100	91	89	85	55	44
Leader	100	100	100	95	83	72	71	67
Neepawa	100	100	100	91	95	68	61	26
Mean (n=160)	100a	100a	99a	95a	77a	65b	64b	33c
Barley
Bonanza	100	96	100	76	88	44	0	0
Klages	100	100	96	64	83	37	0	0
Klondike	100	100	100	55	77	90	0	0
Melvin	100	100	100	27	76	82	0	0
Argyle	100	100	93	30	60	78	0	0
Mean (n=160)	100a	99a	95a	57b	79a	64b	0c	0c
Oats
Dumont	100	90	100	73	89	45	52	23
Harmon	100	91	100	60	91	38	60	50
Kelsey	100	83	100	28	71	26	81	20
Mean (n=120)	100a	88a	100a	44c	83a	42c	63b	27c

*- = plants sprayed with distilled water;

*+ = plants sprayed with ice-nucleating active bacteria.

a-c means in the same row followed by the same letter are not significantly different (P = 0.05)

The information above was taken from research conducted in a greenhouse and the plants were exposed to the freezing temperatures in small pots. Whether or not this information can be related directly to the field is not known. Small grains have adapted to cool temperatures beyond leaf tolerance to frost. The growing point in small grains is located below the soil level until the jointing stage of growth. Usually the soil temperature does not drop as low as the air temperature and the below soil plant parts are protected.

Adapted from Gusta and O'Connor, 1987.

Frost Tolerance (% Survival) of Wheat, Barley and Oats

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