Effect of shade netting on temperature reduction, leaf and fruit sunburn, light intensity and photosynthesis, early splitting percentage and fruit ripening time of pistachio (Pistacia vera cv. Akbari)

Esmaeilpour, Ali; Hasheminasab, Hojat; Bagheri, Vahed; Esmailiranjbar, Ali

Effect of shade netting on temperature reduction, leaf and fruit sunburn, light intensity and photosynthesis, early splitting percentage and fruit ripening time of pistachio (Pistacia vera cv. Akbari)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ali Esmaeilpour ¹

Hojat Hasheminasab ²

Vahed Bagheri ³

Ali Esmailiranjbar ⁴

¹ Faculty Member of Pistachio Research Center, Horticultural Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Rafsanjan, Iran

² Pistachio Research Center,

³ Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Vali Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran.

⁴ Pistachio Research center

Abstract

To investigate the effect of shade on adult pistachio trees, a one-hectare Akbari orchard plot in Anar county, Kerman province (Iran) was selected. Half of the plot was covered with 50% shade using shade nets, and the other half was considered without shade (control). The temperatures (crown, leaf and fruit surface, soil surface) in the plot equipped with shade and the control plot were recorded using a portable meteorological device. The rate of photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, and leaf light intensity were also measured using a portable photosynthesis system. The results of this study showed that all temperatures; leaf, fruit, crown, soil under the canopy and soil out of the canopy temperatures decreased by 5, 8, 2, 5 and 18 degrees centigrade under the shade compared to the sun, respectively. The rate of photosynthesis and light intensity in the shade treatment were lower than in the sun treatment. The percentage of fruit burn was 16 times and the percentage of leaf burn margin was 24 percent lower in the trees under the shade compare in control trees (sun). The time of beginning of kernel development in the shade treatment was accelerated, but the time of fruit ripening was delayed by 4-5 days. According to the results, the use of green shade nets is recommended to reduce the damage of leaf and fruit sunburn and also to reduce the percentage of early splitting of pistachio fruit in the hot months of the year.

Keywords

Net house/shade

Pistachio

Production controlled areas

Subjects