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The application of a biostimulant to a Merlot plot in Bordeaux has been shown to mitigate the effects of the early April frost. Biostimulants are active ingredients from plants, plant residues and wastes, as well as living microorganisms, that promote growth, nutrient acquisition and resistance of crop plants to stress factors and plant diseases. In the Bordeaux trial, PEL 102 derived from apple extracts was used. Part of the vines were treated 84 hours, another 36 before frost on 6 April and the control group not at all. Temperature and air pressure around the buds were measured regularly. In the control blocks the average bud temperature was -3.5 °C, in the buds treated 36 hours before -2.8 °C. The treatment carried out 84 hours before showed medium effectiveness. In the treated plots 67 percent of the buds were lost, in the control group 75 percent. Two months after the frost event, significantly better shoot growth and fruit set were observed than in the control group, namely 7.7 clusters compared to 6.1 per vine.
(al / source: vitisphere; photo: wikipedia, Brühl)