Abstract

A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of rain protective covers on the vegetative and reproductive development and fruit quality of sweet cherry trees. The trial was conducted in the 2010-2011 season in a commercial orchard in Collipulli, Chile, with gabled (Vöen®) crop covers on 10 rows. In half of each row, trees were protected with rain covers from bud-burst, and the other half was protected from first red colour development of the fruit onwards; a treatment without protective rain cover served as control. The following variables were assessed: temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, phenology, intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR), fruit development, foliar area, flower bud differentiation, fruit set, vegetative growth and fruit quality at harvest and after conventional cold storage were measured. The protective covering filtered approximately 40% of incident PAR. Crop cover at budburst advanced tree phenology and increased shoot length. Fruits of cherry trees protected during the colour development phase showed less colour. Protective covering installed at bud-burst increased fruit size, weight and soluble solids concentration, but with more cracking at the style-end scar of the fruit and with reduced fruit firmness. Flower bud differentiation was advanced by both treatments.