The biological zero degree of a plant is the minimum temperature below which the plant will not develop or grow. This applies to both the underground and above-ground parts of the plant.
The biological zero for grapes is an air temperature of around 10 °C. This temperature is equal to the minimum air temperature required for bud break. If temperatures do not warm up steadily after bud break, or if there are drops in daily temperatures, then stunted development can be observed in the vineyards.
For the time being, we are still some distance away from the temperatures needed for the grapes to start growing. In the meantime, it’s worth preparing for the season by planning, learning, and improving, maintaining and expanding our toolkit, where the sensor station developed by the PlantCT team could be an excellent choice for smarter farming and healthier plants.
Máté Havasi
plant health specialist
PlantCT Europe Zrt.
