ABSTRACT

Plants show a great variability with regard to their tolerance to low temperatures and are thus capable of occupying a wide range of climatic regions in the world. Plant species of tropical origin are mostly sensitive to chilling (temperatures between 0 and 12◦C) and do not typically tolerate subzero temperatures and the presence of ice in their tissues, while plants from temperate regions are generally resistant to chilling. The chilling-resistant plants typically tolerate subzero temperatures and freezing of their tissue water. They also exhibit a wide range of tolerance to subzero temperatures, from slight frost to below −196◦C when fully acclimated (1). While many temperate woody conifer and deciduous plant species could survive extreme low temperatures, most herbaceous plants tend to be much less cold-tolerant.