ABSTRACT
This chapter summarizes the effects of freezing, low temperature flooding, and ice encasement stresses on winter cereals under field as well as controlled environment conditions. In addition, evidence for hypotheses on mechanisms of low temperature injury are examined and avenues for future research in this area are discussed. Winter cereal species have the capacity to develop varying degrees of tolerance to freezing stress after several weeks of cool autumn temperatures under natural field conditions, or by exposing young seedlings to temperatures in the range of 0 to 5°C for a few weeks under controlled environment conditions. Cold acclimated winter rye cultivars attain significantly greater freezing tolerance than either winter wheat or barley and, hence, usually exhibit greater winter survival. Overwintering crops are susceptible to damage by excessive water at any time during their seedling growth in fall, winter or spring. Flooding in fall and spring in most central and northern latitudes inundates plants in cold water.
