High temperatures might also cause injuries in the seedling due to the high temperature of the ground around the stem, which may be over 50°C. Depending on the period of
exposure, the plant may even die (Franco 1970). Nevertheless, low temperatures cause frost. Coffee frosts in Brazil usually occur from June to August, the coldest period of the year. During this period the low-lying areas are most susceptible since cold air flows down the mountains and settles in the valleys where temperatures close to -2°C might kill the stem bark tissues, and when close to -5°C the plant may die (Franco 1970).