Video Summary
An evaluation of the use of photoselective anti-hail netting is underway to reduce sunburn and improve productivity of ‘Honeycrisp’ apple in trials a commercial orchard in Quincy, WA. This video describes the methods used and preliminary observations.
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Video Summary: A 3-year project is underway to examine the use of photoselective anti-hail netting to reduce sunburn and improve productivity of ‘Honeycrisp’ apple in an on-site commercial field trial in Quincy, WA. A high density orchard planted to a V-trellis system with ‘Honeycrisp’ on Bud 9 rootstock is being evaluated. Overhead netting of pearl, blue and red colors is compared with an uncovered control treatment. Netting is deployed after pollination and retracted before snowfall. Nets reduced light intensity under them by 20% and resulted in reduced soil temperature and increased soil moisture. Preliminary observations demonstrated improved tree vegetative growth, reduced fruit sunburn incidence, lower wind speed and improved fruit size under nets.
Speaker: Dr. Desmond R. Layne (Professor of Pomology, Department of Horticulture, Washington State University)
Project Participants: Dr. Lee Kalcsits, Dr. Stefano Musacchi, Dr. Desmond Layne, Dr. Sara Serra, Mr. Tory Schmidt, Dr. Giverson Mupambi, Dr. Sindhuja Sankaran, Dr. Lav Khot, and industry partner McDougall and Sons, Inc., Wenatchee, WA.
Project Sponsors: Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and USDA-WSDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
Key Words: apple, ‘Honeycrisp’, sunburn, overhead cooling, hail, shade net, photoselective net, vegetative growth, heat stress, pearl, red, blue, environmental monitoring, photosynthesis, wind speed, soil moisture, soil temperature, light scattering, fruit color, fruit maturity, fruit quality, fruit size
