Effects of Photoselective Netting on Shoot and Root Development

of Grafted Orange Trees

Kaining Zhou, Daniela Jerszurki，Shimon Rachmilevitch, Jhonathan Ephrath
French Associates Institute for Biotechnology and Agriculture of Drylands, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
Ben Gurion
University of the zhoy@post.bgu.ac.il
Negev

Introduction Results
Photoselective nets have capabilities to specifically modify the light spectrum and Photoselective netting not only significantly increased shoot growth and fruit yield,
enhance the scattered light that plants receive, in addition to protect plants from but also changed root distribution and root production. Moreover, photoselective
excessive radiation. Since citrus trees are usually slow growing and need 10-15 nets have stronger impacts on both shoot and root development compared to
years to reach their full size, it is important to know the potential of photoselective no-net control.
netting for shortening the juvenile phase in young orange trees.
Shoot growth Trunk growth

Objectives Fruit yield

Control Pearl Red Yellow 60

Total number of fruit per tree

Control Pearl Red Yellow A
240.00 A 45.00 AA A A
A 50
1. Test effects of photoselective netting on both shoot and root development. AA
A A
B

Objective

Tree height (cm)

40

Stem diameter (mm)

A B
180.00 A A B 30.00
A
30
2. Identify the optimal photoselective net that can significantly promote the A
B B
20
120.00 15.00
performance of young orange trees. A
B 10
B
60.00 0.00 0
Sep-14 Dec-14 Mar-15 Jun-15 Aug-15 Oct-15 Dec-15 Jul-16 Sep-14 Dec-14 Mar-15 Jun-15 Aug-15 Oct-15 Jul-16
Control Pearl Red Yellow
Date Date
Treatments
Figure 4. Effects of photoselective netting on (a) tree height，(b) stem diameter
and (c) fruit yield.
Materials and Methods
13 July 2015 2 Dec 2015 25 Jan 2016 4 April 2016 20 May 2016 15 June 2016 9 July 2016 27 July 2016 16 Aug 2016 13 Sep 2016 6 Oct 2016 11 Dec 2016
This research was conducted on orange trees grown under three different RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2) RLD (mm/mm2)
0 0.01 0.02 0 0.01 0.02 0 0.01 0.02 0 0.01 0.02 0 0.01 0.02 0 0.01 0.02 0 0.01 0.02 0 0.01 0.02 0 0.01 0.02 0 0.01 0.02
photoselective nets (pearl, red and yellow) and in control field without nets (Fig. 1). 0 0.01 0.02

20
0 0.01 0.02

20 20
20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

Both shoot and root parameters were measured. For root study, transparent 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40
40 40

observation tubes were installed to a depth of 200 cm at distances of 50 cm from the 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60

60

trunk (Fig. 2a). Root images were captured during different developmental stages by 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80

using the minirhizotron system (Fig. 2b). Ingrowth cores (35 cm long, 10 cm in Depth
100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
(cm)
diameter) were inserted at distances of 25 and 50 cm from the trunk respectively, 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120

and harvested every 3 months in order to measure the root production (Fig. 3). 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140 140

160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160 160

180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180

200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200

Location:
Beror Hayil, south of
Israel (31º55' N, 34º64'
E). Figure 5. Effects of photoselective netting on root length density with depth at
different dates measured by minirhizotron.
Climate type:
Semi-arid

Soil type:
Sandy loam soil. Control Pearl Red Yellow
2000
2000
Total root length (cm)

Total root length (cm)

A
Plant material: 1600 1600
Valencia sweet orange 25 cm 50 cm
scion grafted on sour 1200 1200
orange rootstock. 800 800 AB B
A B
Transplanted date: 400 BB B A 400
September 2014 when AB AB B
0 0
trees were two years
Mar-16 Jun-16 Oct-16 Dec-16 Mar-16 Jun-16 Oct-16 Dec-16
old.
Date Date

Figure 6. Effects of photoselective netting on root total length at (a) 25 cm

Figure 1. Study site in Beror Hayil. and (b) 50 cm from the trunk measured by ingrowth core.

Control Pearl nets Red nets Yellow nets

Record the Life Story of Roots

50 cm
200 cm

Shallow and Evenly distributed Narrow and Deep and

a bJune 2016 extensive roots and deep roots Shallow roots extensive roots
August 2016 October 2016

Figure 2. (a) Schematic description of using minirhizitron system (MR) to observe root Figure 7. Principal component analysis of Figure 8. Predicted effects of
development. (b) Root dynamic images captured by MR. all plant traits for all treatments. photoselective netting on root structure.

Conclusions
Discussion

So far all photoselective nets have proved equally successful in promoting rapid
establishment and early high-fruit yield in young orange trees. In the long term,
yellow nets may perform better than other nets in the sandy soil where water and
nutrients are easily drained to the deeper part of the soil, because root growth was
deeper and more extensive under yellow nets, enabling enhanced uptake of water
and nutrients.

Figure. 3 (a) Ingrowth core, (b) installed ingrowth cores at 25 cm and 50 cm from the
trunk and (c) harvested ingrowth cores.

Funded by: Acknowledgement:

Liron Summerfield, Oren Shelef, Reut Berger-Tal and many people who helped me in
this research. Thank you for your interest and comments.