Effect of anti-hail net on production and quality of ‘Rose Niagara’ grapes grown in Serra Gaúcha region, south Brazil

Abstract

In the Serra Gaúcha region, South Brazil, the occurrence of hail is common due to relief and the cold air currents coming from polar regions. Nowadays, the use of anti-hail nets to protect fruit production is increasing, but the real effects of using this coverture on vines are largely unknown. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the impact of the use of an anti-hail net on the productivity and quality parameters of ‘Rose Niagara’ grapes grown in the region, in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 harvests. The studied parameters were production, number of bunches per plant, bunch length, berry diameter, mass of 100 berries, average bunch mass, juice pH, titratable acidity, soluble solids, phenolic compounds content, total anthocyanins content, and photosynthetically active radiation. The results showed that the anti-hail net influenced some quality parameters, but this change was not consistent in the two harvests, indicating a larger influence of edaphoclimatic conditions than of the use of the net. Thus, the anti-hail net may be an alternative to protect vineyards from hail and other bad weather conditions, without having important negative impacts on the production and quality of ‘Rose Niagara’ grapes.