Y. Shahak 18.1.

11

Practicing agriculture is becoming more

challenging due to

Global climate changes; Extreme

cilmatic events.

Urbanization pushing Ag towards

marginal areas.

Market standards going up: better

quality, less chemicals,
environmental-friendly practices.

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

What can we do about it?

We cannot do much about the climate,

but we can protect the crops, making them

less dependent on their environment.

Protection can be provided by

Net- (screen-) houses

Greenhouses

Developing resistant (tolerant) cultivars.

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Netting is used to protect crops against

excessive radiation, environmental hazards
and flying pests
We have taken it one step further, to also
photo-selectively screen sunlight
This is a sophistication of a low-tech
protected agriculture

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Plant-light Interaction
Sunlight is the source of energy for plant life.
It also provides signals for plants to sense their
environment,

and to respond best for their survival.

Plants can sense even small changes in their
surrounding light regime :

Spectral composition (quality)

Direction
Light intensity (quantity)

Duration (period)
Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Additional players in agriculture

Who else is responding to light quality?
Fungal diseases
Insect pests
Insect-borne Viral diseases
Beneficial insects

The final crop performance integrates all of the

above

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Photoselective netting is a new agro-technological

approach
Developed by a collaboration between the Volcani
Center and an Israeli Plastics industry*
We have designed several series of shade/protective
net products, each screening different parts of the
spectrum
colored ColorNets: Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, purple
neutral ColorNets: White, Grey, Pearl

and tested them under field conditions

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

*Polysack Plastics Industries, kibbutz Nir Yitzhak

Major goals:
Achieving specific physiological benefits, in
addition to the basic protective function of
the nets,
To make the investment in the net-covering
cost-effective the growers.

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

what is unique about them?

Light quality modification
Net type

Main purpose
Spectrum?

Scattering?

Black

Shading

No

No

Clear
(crystal)

Insect screens;
hail protection

No

Yes

Photoselective Improving crop

( =ColorNets)
performance

Yes

Yes

Light under the ColorNets is both spectrally modified and

scattered.
The spectral modification promotes physiological responses.
The scattering improves the penetration of the spectrallymodified light into the inner plant canopy.
Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Examples for results in

Ornamentals

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10

Ornamental foliage crops

(shade plants)

Both Red and Yellow nets enhance the overall vegetative

vigor (stem length, width, and leaf size)
The Blue net reduce vigor relative to the Black net
These nets do not modify R and/or FR !!
Both results are desirable, to fit varying market demands.

Blue net

Black net

Yellow net

Aralia grown for decorative branches under 60% shade nets.

Photographed 10 months after net application
Y. Shahak 18.1.11

11

Perennial ornamentals

The branching surprise

Two of the neutral ColorNets were found to enhance
branching: the Grey and Pearl nets

No. of branches/plant

This is a desired response in the production of cuttings and

potted plant .
70
60
50
40
30
20
10

Green

Red

Blue

Grey

Black Aluminet

Pittosporum variegatum under

50/75% shading
Y. Shahak 18.1.11

12

Practical applications by growers

Pittosporum, Israel

Pittosporum, Israel

Anthurium, Brazil

Palm nursery, Costa Rica

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Gypsophila, Italy

13

Combined covers in ornamentals:

3 retractable screens in one greenhouse:
a Blue net used during the vegetative stage; Red net towards
flowering; and a thermal screen for chill/heat control during day
and/or night throughout the whole season.

Orchids in Brazil
(Phalaenopsis)

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

14

Vegetables

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

15

Vegetables:

Leafy crops

, gr
weight,
Head

Higher yield under the Red and Pearl nets, compared

with the black or Blue nets of the same shading capacity
393

418

400

282

258

300
200

Lettuce covered by a 30% shade

net on top of a clear film

100
0

%03

Blue

%03

Red

%03

Pearl

No net

Yield, Kg / m2

Summer Basil in net-tunnels

(50% shading)

Red

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Pearl

Black

16

Vegetables:

Bell pepper

Summer-autumn pepper were traditionally grown under black

shade-nets (~35% shading) at the Besor area (arid).
We have studied the performance of pepper under 3 selected
ColorNets: Red, Pearl and Yellow
(A) Plant response study (under prophylactic pest control)
(B) Pest response study (no pesticides!)

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Besor Experimental Station, Israel 2005-2008

17

Plant responses to photoselective shading

More fruits produced per plant per season, and higher yield
(Ton/Ha): 15-40% more than black nets,
The order of productivity: Red > Pearl > Yellow >> Black
Export-quality fruit yield: Pearl and Yellow were the best
Also less post-harvest decay in fruit grown under the Pearl
and Yellow nets.
Total yield: # fruit / dunam
'Vergasa' cumulative yield

Net

60000

Fruit/dunam

* High-quality yield 2007

Export-quality

50000

Ton/Ha

Black

45

100

Red

69

154

Yellow

77

171

40000
30000
20000
10000

Red
Pearl
Yellow
Black

29.8.06

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

29.9.06 29.10.06 29.11.06 29.12.06

Harvesting date

18

Pest Response summary

Even though the net holes were large enough to allow free
passage of the pepper pests,
Infestation was selectively affected by the Pearl and Yellow
shade nets.
Both Pearl and Yellow nets reduced aphid-borne viral diseases!
They allow a more environmental-friendly pest control.
% of CMV-infected Pepper plants

% of PVY-infected Tomato plants

60
40
40
20

20

0
Red
Y. Shahak 18.1.11

0
Black Yellow

Pearl

Red

Jun-
Black Yellow

Pearl

19

Orchard Netting Research in Israel

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Table grapes
Peach
Apple
Pear
Pomegranate
Persimmon
Loquat
Banana
Avocado
Citrus
Fruit tree nurseries
20

Fruit trees - Summary

Photoselective tree responses

(which depend on the color of the covering net)

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Flowering
Fruit-set
Productivity
Time of maturation (early & late)
Fruit size
Vegetative growth
Water-use-efficiency
21

Fruit trees

Additional benefits from the netting

(independent of the color of the net)

Protection from hail, wind, birds,

etc.

No sunburns, less wind scars,

smoother fruit skin

Water saving

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

22

Photoselective responses:

Effects on the rate of fruit maturation and berry size

Exp: early table grapes (Jordan Valley and Arava 2000-2006)
Advanced maturation (sugar accumulation) under White and Pearl
nets (white nets family),
Delayed maturation under Red and Grey nets,
Larger berries and better fruit quality under the light-dispersive
nets (white, Pearl, Red, Yellow nets); reduced size under Grey
and black
Following this research, all vineyards at the Jordan Valley and
Arava regions are now covered by nets,
Sugar content, %TSS

Red

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

Grey

Pearl

No net

20
18

Prime

2004

16
14
12
10
10.5.04

17.5.04

24.5.04
Date

31.5.04

23

Applications by growers

Late table-grape cultivars

Lakhish Tali Grapes , Israel 2009

Red net for delaying fruit maturation, White net for

advancing maturation; both also improving berry size
and quality,

+ preventing sunburns, wind-scars, and bird damage.

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

24

Photoselective effects:

Fruit size & yield in GD Apples

Average of 5 successive years (2002-2006)

Larger fruit size and fruit yield under the light-dispersive

ColorNets, but not under black and Grey nets.
Order of efficiency:
Pearl > Red, White > Blue > No-net > Black, Grey

100
80
60
40
20
0

Pearl
Y. Shahak 18.1.11

2005 Size distribution

40

bc
c

Kg / Tree

Kg/Tree/Year

94

Ton / Ha /year
84 83 79 70 67 66

30

Pearl

20

Black
No net

10
0
50

Red White Blue No-netBlack Grey

55

60

65

70

75

80

85

Fruit Diameter, mm
25

Applications by growers

Apple orchards
covered by

Red hail-net
Turkey, 2008
Improving fruit size, skin coloration, quality and yield, while also
preventing hail, wind and frost damage.
Covered orchard

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

traditional not covered

26

Final words

Photoselective netting enables better utilization of

solar energy by horticultural crops,

while reducing chemical applications (PGRs,

pesticides, fungicides).

And providing protection from environmental

hazards

The new technology can be adjusted to fit different

crops/cultivars, climates, market demands

We are currently testing the technology in more

crops, and further develop the next generation of
photoselective netting materials.

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

27

Take-home message

The quality of the light within the

shade can make a lot of difference!

Bsor Experimental Station, Negev

Y. Shahak 18.1.11

28

Publications (partial list)

Oren-Shamir et al. (2001) Coloured shade nets can improve the yield and quality of green decorative
branches of Pittosporum variegatum. J. Hort. Sci. Biotech 76: 353-361

Shahak et al. (2004) ColorNets: A new approach for light manipulation in fruit trees. Acta Hort. 636: 609616.

Shahak et al. (2004) ColorNets: crop protection and light-quality manipulation in one technology. Acta
Hort. 659 (1): 143-151.

Rajapakse and Shahak (2007) Light quality manipulation by horticulture industry. In: Light and Plant
Development (G. Whitelam and K. Halliday, eds.), pp 290-312, Blackwell, UK. (A book chapter).

Elad et al. (2007) Effect of colored shade nets on pepper powdery mildew (Levillula taurica).
Phytoparasitica 35 (3): 285-299.

Shahak (2008) Photoselective netting for improved performance of horticultural crops. A review of
ornamental and vegetable studies carried in Israel. Acta Hort. 770: 161-168.

Ganelevin (2008) World-Wide Commercial Applications of Colored Shade Nets Technology

(ChromatiNet). Acta Hort. 770: 199-203.

Shahak et al. (2008). Improving solar energy utilization, productivity and fruit quality in orchards and
vineyards by photoselective netting. Acta Hort. 772: 65-72.

Retamales et al. (2008) Colored shading nets increase yields and profitability of highbush blueberries.
Acta Hort. 770:193-197.

Shahak et al. (2008) Photoselective shade netting integrated with greenhouse technologies for
improved performance of vegetable and ornamental crops. Acta Hort. 797: 75-80.

Ovadia et al. (2009) Coloured shade nets influence the stem length, time to flower and flower size of
ornamental crops. J. Hort. Sci. Biotech., 84(2): 161-166.

Fallik et al. (2009) Can colored shade nets maintain

sweet pepper quality during storage and
Y. Shahak
marketing? Acta Hort. 830: 37-43.

29