Effects of photoselective colour nets on the vegetative, productive, and qualitative behaviour of kiwifruit, jintao cultivar

BACKGROUND: In the Mediterranean basin, the solar radiation received is very high for many tree species over several hours of the day during the summer. Using a photoselective net can improve the climatic conditions and also modify the quality of light received. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the colour of photoselective nets on the yield and quality of Actinidia chinensis. MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out in Southern Italy on an orchard of Jintao kiwifruit. Photoselective nets of different colours were used: black, red, yellow, white, and grey. The resulting fruits were compared to those of plants in the open field. A randomised block design was adopted. Environmental, vegetative, leaf gas exchange parameter, yield, and fruit quality were defined. All data were analysed using the Variance Analysis (ANOVA) and the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). RESULTS: Photoselectivity influenced production. The best results were obtained under the red net in terms of production and fertility indices. Fruit size, maturation indices, and nutraceutical parameters were also higher under the red net. Among the nets, the grey net induced the worst tree productivity results and the worst fruit quality parameters. However, all nets showed better results compared to the open field. CONCLUSION: The photoselective net strongly influenced the yield and quality of Jintao kiwifruit and the better results compared to the open field. The red net proved to be the best performer for the environment where the experiment was carried out.