Jack Frost taunted farmers around the state last week with blasts of arctic air that threatened several of California's major agricultural areas, from San Diego to the Central Valley and along the coast. The direct losses in citrus alone could approach a billion dollars, but avocados and strawberries also were severely damaged. Sticker shock at the supermarket can't be far behind.

Farmers have pathetically low-tech methods for preventing frost damage to their crops. These include burning smudge pots, which produce warm smoke; running wind machines to move the frigid air; and spraying water on the plants to form an insulating coat of ice. The only possible high-tech solution, a clever application of biotechnology, has been frozen out by federal regulators.