Peas and faba beans have good frost tolerance, as their growing points are located below ground. If damaged, pea and faba bean plants can regrow from the seed below ground, or from the scale nodes if the main stem has been damaged. For crops with more advanced development, this can negatively influence crop uniformity.
Soybeans and dry beans are susceptible to frost damage because their growing points are located above ground. At this time, dry bean crops have likely not emerged yet and are safe from frost, but emerged soybean seedlings are at risk of damage. The level of damage incurred will depend on the severity and duration of freezing temperatures. Temperatures lower than -2°C are considered to be a hard or killing frost, and there is a risk of severe damage if these temperatures persist for more than 2 hours.
Scout your soybean fields 3-5 days after the frost event to assess the growing points and plant stand. Count the number of healthy plants and those that have green tissue and show signs of regrowth. If plant populations are very low (<80,000 plants/ac), re-seeding or topping up plant stands should be considered.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FROST SEVERITY:
- Duration of cool temperatures – longer duration of freezing temperatures can cause more damage.
- Soil moisture – moisture in the soil will retain heat.
- Wind speed – stronger wind can reduce the severity of frost.
- Cloud cover – more nighttime cloud cover can reduce plant damage.
Assessing Early-Season Frost Damage →
