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How can water spraying protect strawberry plants during freezing temperatures?

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Several bunches of ripe yellow Gros Michel bananas are arranged on a patterned tablecloth at an outdoor market or picnic setting. — Fruit farming Gros Michel bananas.

Water spraying, or sprinkler irrigation, protects strawberry plants from freezing temperatures by utilizing the physical process of latent heat of fusion.1

When water freezes into ice, it releases a significant amount of heat. By continuously applying water to the plants throughout a frosty night, this released heat maintains the temperature of the plant tissue at the freezing point, preventing it from dropping further and sustaining injury. Additionally, the water particles in the air can help reduce outgoing radiation from the ground.12

However, this method requires significant skill and judgment from the operator. It is essential that the sprinkling remains continuous; if the process stops while temperatures are still below freezing, the plant temperature will decline immediately, and the resulting ice formation may actually cause damage to the crop.1