Testing shoot cold hardiness in Eucalyptus (Daneshill energy plantation 2007)

Several studies on growing eucalyptus in Britain have been undertaken over the last 25 years. All recognise the potential for establishing this species as a valuable forest crop while stressing the importance of selecting material capable of with standing the British climate. Developments in frost hardiness testing using shoot electrolyte leakage, enable rapid and reliable measurement of cold tolerance in trees. This technique is employed by Forest Research staff to predict the physiological condition of samples following exposure to simulated freezing conditions. Eucalyptus shoots were periodically tested to identify the hardiest and follow seasonally induced variations in winter hardening, loggers were be used to monitor site temperature changes between each sampling period. This dataset is comprised of cold tolerance data on eucalyptus specimens at various sub-zero conditions. It shows shoot frost hardiness (SFH) in terms of mortality at different temperatures, and also the Stem Electrolyte Leakage (SEL).