General News
16 September, 2026
Frost watch ahead
Crops are most vulnerable to late-season frosts in the current window from the late-boot stage to head emergence and flowering, producing devastating financial and personal losses.
Crops are most vulnerable to late-season frosts in the current window from the late-boot stage to head emergence and flowering, producing devastating financial and personal losses.
Spring has brought clear, still skies and cool nights, increasing frost risk; however, frost risk, incidence, and severity vary between and within years and across landscapes.
Frost damage occurs in plants under low and sub-zero temperatures, with ice crystals forming both inside the plant and outside the individual cell.
The expanding ice crystals suck up water molecules and can cause the cells to dehydrate, damaging many of the sensitive structures.
As a result, frost can pinch wheat and reduce yields by destroying reproductive cells and pollen.
Wheat plants are most susceptible to frost damage, with an estimated $360 million lost annually in wheat production, according to a study supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
Damage is usually most evident 7-10 days after a suspected frost event.
When checking for frost damage, inspect the crop in more susceptible lower parts of the landscape first; if the crop is damaged, move to higher ground.
Walk through the crop and examine a whole plant every 10-20 paces.
If the head has not emerged from the boot, check that the developing head has not been damaged.
Carefully dissect the plant from the top down to find the head of the plant inside the leaf sheaths.
If the crop has flowered, open the florets to check if grain is developing.
During an El Niño year, although maximum temperatures are generally warmer than average, decreased cloud cover often leads to cooler-than-average night-time temperatures.
According to the BOM, regions of NSW and northern Victoria can experience 15-30% more frost days during El Niño than the historical average.