Seasonal snow and soil frost covers 55% of the northern hemisphere and freeze-thaw cycles in soils of these regions are expected to increase in severity and frequency along the next century [1]. Such natural elements which cause intermittent or seasonal drop in soil temperatures, significantly affect plant growth and other soil-biotic activities [2]. The term chilling temperatures pertain to low but non-freezing (0–15°C) temperatures that are common during early spring season in temperate regions which often substantially compromise plant productivity [3,4]. Further, such conditions also lead to crop loss by encouraging growth of saprophytic fungi in addition to disturbing the natural soil nutrient cycling thereby reducing soil fertility [1,2]. Exposure to low temperatures disrupts the cellular homeostasis in plants and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are some of the major products of stress-induced cellular changes [5]. ROS such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), singlet oxygen (O2-) and HO., damage biomacromolecules including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and DNA, ultimately leading to total cell death in plants [6,7].