Peach Crops Saved From Overhead Irrigation
The freezing weather over the weekend meant a lot of extra work for some folks. University of Florida farmers had to protect their crops from the freezing temperatures. How did they do it? -- They used freezing water. Hundreds of peach crops were saved from a process called "Overhead Irrigation." Farmers pumped water from the aquifer over these trees to protect them from freeze damage. They did lose a lot of their apricot and citrus crops because there wasn't enough equipment to spray them. Horticultural Sciences Professor Jose Chaparro says the process created heat for the peaches.
"Heat is given off. As long as water is continuously freezing, the temperature does not drop below freezing, and the tissue is protected," Jose Chaparro (Horticultural Sciences Professor) said.
TV20 Meterologists say they don't expect any more frosty conditions until possibly later this week.
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