A Hungarian innovation saves the produce of fruit producers and winemakers

Fruit growers and winemakers are suffering from year to year from frost, especially from spring frost, which usually hits almost all of their produce. There was no effective protection against the temperature of -3 to -25 °C during winter or springtime and the producer can only take note of the damage. The currently known solutions can be quite efficient during preferable circumstances, but they barely satisfied the producers’ expectations in practice. These solutions such as antifrost irrigation, using paraffin torches or buying propane gas driven antifrost machines can solve meet challenges, but the efficiency of these is rather limited and their cost is terribly high and usually cannot be paid by the producers. So, I draw the attention here to a new Hungarian innovation, a new antifrost machine, the Fog-Dragon and its smaller brother, the Fog-Mushroom. The machine burns the lit fuel in its combustion chamber and spreads the resulting hot smoke and steam in the plantation. Hot air prevents frost damage whilst the smoke will not allow the heat to escape from the ground. The water vapor increases the gravimetric density of the smoky hot air further, therefore it spreads through the plantations covering the area in mist. A single Fog-Dragon provides protection for 10 ha of land against frost damage. Wide range of fuel options which for example can be made of hay, straw or corn bale, wood chips, vine-branch bale or logs of wood. During operation the machine has to be moved with smoot motion with 40-60 meter turns returning to the given point of the plantation according to the weather condition and the temperature. For the operation the machine has to be towed by a minimum 45 horsepower tractor. The manufacturer has already developed three version of the machine depending on its width: the 211 cm large machine, the Big-Dragon for the protection of large orchards, the 176 cm large Small-Dragon for the protection of smaller orchards and large vineyards and the 150 cm large Mini-Dragon for the protection of smaller vineyards. The smaller brother, the Fog-Mushroom is locally installed during operation and thus provides spring-time frost protection for smaller gardens, vineyards, strawberry fields, sapling field. The system operates with split firewood or similar biomass. One machine protects 2800-3000 m2. Both electric and petrol-powered models are available. The electric powered model starts automatically as the temperature drops below a certain point. Dry fuel such as smaller logs or pellet is required for operation. I can firmly suggest to growers and winemakers allover the World and machine traders as well to be confident to turn to the Fog-Dragon and Fog-Mushroom for having a good antifrost assistance, try and regularly use the machines. They will have a reliable tool to save their produce and revenue from the negative effects of frost.