Photo-selective nets on flat peach: a study in central Italy

The use of photo-selective anti-hail nets represents one of the latest technical advancements in fruit cultivation, offering an improvement over commonly-used anti-hail or anti-insect nets. These nets can protect crops from excessive radiation, as well as from hail and pests, while simultaneously enhancing the environment beneath them in terms of temperature and humidity. However, there may be some potential side effects such as reduced yields and/or quality, hence the characteristics of the nets (mesh type, colour, shading) must be tailored to the climate and the specific plant species and cultivars. In 2021, a study was conducted on the flat peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. var. compressa Bean.) cultivar ‘Platibelle’. Photo-selective anti-hail nets of different colours (red, yellow, pearl with mesh size of 2.4×4.8 mm) were tested to assess their effect on the physiological and productive response of the plants. Some differences were observed in the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the fruit: under the yellow net, the fruits had greater weight and diameter. Similar behaviour was observed in the gas exchange of the plants under different colours, although shading was greater under the red net. These data can help understand the effect of different net characteristics and assist producers in choosing the best net to achieve their objectives