As there is an increasing number of hail storms, which are a consequence of global warming, the cultivation of crops and other plants under anti-hail nets has expanded considerably. The nets are designed to protect crops from hail, especially in fruit cultivation and viticulture. In addition to anti-hail nets, there are also nets for protection against wind and insects, and shading nets. These can change the microclimate in the orchard and consequently change physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of fruits. In my undergraduate thesis, I investigated the influence of the anti-hail nets on external factors, such as solar radiation interception and temperature. The use of anti-hail nets affects the temperature, color, size and ripeness of the fruit as well as the tree vigour. Chemical changes are mostly the effects on content of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids), primary and secondary metabolites (phenolic compounds) and individual anthocyanins in the fruit skin. Apart from this, the anti-hail nets help to reduce fruit cracking and sunburns but causes higher occurrence and intensity level of AS infection on apples.
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