Effect of Colored Shading Nets on the Growth and Water Use Efficiency of Sweet Pepper Grown under Semi-arid Conditions

Abstract

Colored shading nets have been increasingly studied in semi-arid crop production systems, primarily because of their ability to reduce solar radiation with the attendant reductions in air, plant, and soil temperatures. However, there is a paucity of research concerning the impact of colored shading nets on various crops grown under semi-arid environments, particularly the sweet pepper (Capsicum annum) production system. This study aimed to investigate the effects of three colored shading net treatments (i.e., white, green, and black shading nets with 50% shading intensity and control with unshaded conditions) on the growth and instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE) of sweet pepper. The results showed that all colored shading nets exhibited significantly lower daytime air temperatures and light intensity (22 to 28 °C and 9992 lx, respectively) compared with the control (32 to 37 °C and 24,973 lx, respectively). There were significant differences in sweet pepper growth performance among treatments, including plant height, shoot dry weight, leaf area, leaf chlorophyll content, and vitamin C in ripened fruit. The enhanced photosynthetic rates were observed in sweet pepper plants under the colored shading nets compared with control plants. WUE increased among the colored shading net treatments in the following order: control ≤ white < black < green. Overall, the application of green and black shading nets to sweet pepper production systems under semi-arid environments significantly enhanced plant growth responses and WUE.

Understanding the Urgent Need for Direct Climate Cooling

“…Mirrored roofing tiles would reduce heat wave mortality and energy system overload exacerbated by the urban heat island effect (Millstein and Fischer, 2014;Trlica et al, 2017). Replacing colored nets in agriculture with mirrors could improve productivity by reducing heat stress and agricultural water usage (Munywoki, 2017;Mohawesh et al, 2021). Preliminary experimental data suggest agricultural soil cooling by up to 4°C at a depth of 10 cm at mid-latitude (43°N), with cooler soil storing more carbon (Hartley et al, 2021).…”

Potential Impacts of Shade Treatments on Dormancy of Overwintering Redbud (Cercis canadensis L.) Trees at Southeastern Nurseries

“…There are a variety of shade cloths in use at production nurseries, ranging from standard black to reflective/metallic white, with shade reducing capabilities of 30-80%. Shade cloths often are marketed as a way of preventing summer heat stress, but they also have been shown to improve tree stem strength through a reduction in excessive vertical growth (Fare 2012, Mohawesh et al 2022. By reducing solar radiation of overwintering trees, we hypothesize that providing shade to container-grown ornamental trees also will promote accumulation of chill hours and prevent loss of dormancy, thus reducing risk of frost injury and subsequent biotic injuries. )…”

Orchard Management and Incorporation of Biochemical and Molecular Strategies for Improving Drought Tolerance in Fruit Tree Crops

“…This decreases the total temperature of the canopy and reduces water use [ 40 ]. Extensive research has been conducted to prove the effects of net shading on crops [ 41 , 42 , 43 ]. Nicolas et al [ 44 ], for instance, showed that transpiration in shaded apricot ‘Bulida’ trees was lower than in trees exposed to direct solar radiation.…”