Skip to content
agronom.cc cultivar database

Variety traits

Cold tolerance

Cold tolerance is a biological characteristic of a variety that determines its ability to develop and maintain productivity under prolonged exposure to low positive temperatures (from +1 to +10 °C).

Mentioned in descriptions 2 844 varieties reference book.

Cold tolerance represents the ability of an organism to maintain normal metabolism, protoplasm structure, and enzymatic activity under conditions where thermophilic crops begin to slow growth, yellow, and lose turgor. Unlike winter hardiness, this indicator does not imply the tolerance of sub-zero temperatures and freezing of tissues. In practice, a cold-tolerant variety allows for early sowing in unheated soil, reduces the risk of seedling death during spring cold snaps, contributes to the efficient use of winter moisture, and accelerates development, which often leads to earlier maturity.

Field and laboratory evaluation methods are used during variety testing. The field methodology includes phenological observations of growth rates during early sowing, visual assessment of survival after temperature stress, and structural analysis of the impact of conditions on yield components. In laboratory settings, a 'cold test' is used for seed germination in incubators at reduced temperatures followed by further growth, as well as biochemical analysis, such as determining the level of free proline in leaves.

Cold tolerance is expressed through a coefficient calculated as the ratio of performance in stress conditions to control conditions, or through percentage values of germination. Based on these data, varieties are divided into groups by resistance level. An important indicator is the temperature minimum at which crop growth ceases, which is about +4 °C for most plants and up to +10 °C for maize. Variety selection requires consideration of the biological characteristics of the crop, as this trait is critical for thermophilic plants at the early development stage.

Sources10

Breakdown by crop

Cold tolerance of maize 73 Cold tolerance of lettuce 19 Cold tolerance — soybean 15 Cold tolerance of maize 13 Cold tolerance of pea 11 Cold tolerance of endive 10 Cold tolerance of chicory 9 Cold tolerance of cucumber 9 Tomato cold tolerance 9 Cold tolerance of parsley 8 Cold tolerance of sunflower 8 Cold tolerance of spinach 7 Cold tolerance of turnip 7 Cold tolerance — Leek 7 Cold tolerance of carrots 7 Cold tolerance — soft wheat 7 Cold Hardiness of Savoy Cabbage 6 Cold tolerance — white cabbage 6 Cold tolerance — fava bean 5 Cold tolerance of faba beans 5 Cold tolerance — Black radish 5 Cold resistance of radish 5 Cold tolerance of Anthurium andraeanum 5 Cold tolerance of rice 5

Found in these crops

Maize 261 Maize 75 Olive 51 Anthurium 35 Lettuce 27 Sunflower 27 Tomato 24 Cucumber 24 Soybean 21 Leek 17 Spinach 15 Chicory 15

Varieties that feature this in their description

Selection based on the description text, not official resistance ratings: such data is not available in registers. Mention indicates that the trait is discussed in the variety's sources; see the variety's profile for details on what is specifically stated.

RAGIOLA

Active

Olea europaea L. · Olive

1 record

PERO MISSO

Active

Pyrus communis L. · European pear

1 record

Sisu

Terminated

Medicago lupulina L. · Black medic

1 record

S. MIchele 0208

Active

Brassica oleracea L. (Savoy Cabbage Group) · Savoy cabbage

1 record

Luzia

Active

Brassica oleracea L. (Tronchuda Group) · Portuguese cabbage

1 record

P7326

Active

Zea mays L. subsp. mays (Maize Group) · Maize

1 record

Martha

Active

Malus Mill. · Apple

1 record

MORCAROL

Active

Olea europaea L. · Olive

1 record

PIGNOLA

Active

Olea europaea L. · Olive

1 record

PATRINI

Active

Olea europaea L. · Olive

2 records

Hortus

Terminated

Beta vulgaris Leaf Beet Group · Swiss chard

1 record

OKITSU

Active

Citrus reticulata Blanco · Mandarin orange

1 record

NOCE

Active

Olea europaea L. · Olive

1 record

Jump to page 6 12 18 25 30 31 37