Strategies for managing spring frost risks in orchards: effectiveness and conditionality—a systematic review

Abstract Background Spring frosts pose an important threat to orchard productivity in temperate zones and projections do not exclude damaging events the future. However, there is no up-to-date systematic comparison of effectiveness conditionality existing passive active damage prevention strategies. This review seeks answer questions “How performances spring frost reduction strategies fruit orchards compare?” environmental conditions affect orchards?”. Methods covers a large range on-field for protection flowering against inflicted by late frost. All major tree crops grapevines were included, provided that performance was compared control terms bud flower survival, yield delays time, or ambient temperature change. Articles reports collected between June October 2021 from Web Science Core Collection regional indexes databases Scopus, FAO AGRIS, USDA Agricola, CAB Abstracts Groenekennis database University Wageningen, Netherlands, as well relevant institutional websites Chinese scholarly search engine ‘Baidu’. Biases resulting inadequate randomisation, incomplete reporting deficient study designs reported. Temporal spatial research trends gaps mapped based on 104 selected studies (from 8970 identified studies). Data extracted every experiment article reported on, leading 971 data points. Groups methods whereby factors examined explain variation means mixed linear models. Review findings Most included originate United States Europe more than production regions Asia. An increase over time foliar applications, including growth regulation hormones observed. Apple, peach recently grapevine most researched types, followed cherry pear. The validity generally low measures variability only occasionally. Therefore, descriptive comparisons undertaken intervention classes types. Sprinkler systems found perform best studied outcomes, while emerging biochemical solutions revealed results. resource-intensive heating did outperform low-resource techniques such tunnels coverings individual buds. lack standards allow extensive correlations with reduced transferability review’s findings. A need standard protocols experiments therefore apparent. Conclusions In this field, strong shortcomings documentation experimental setups exposed. Implications policy making are limited recommendations reduce bias comparability put forward.