Background: Changes of environmental factors, created under the influence of various shading nets, could significantly affect the biological characteristics of plants grown in such conditions as well as biosynthesis of primary metabolites and ascorbic acid. Five blackcurrant cultivars - 'Ben Sarek', 'Ben Nevis', 'Ben Lomond', 'Ometa' and 'Čačanska Crna' - were cultivated in the shade of two green polyethylene nets and exposed to direct sunlight during two experimental seasons.
Results: In the control treatment, all cultivars contained the highest amounts of soluble solid content and number of flower buds per shoot in both years of cultivation. The bushes exposed to direct sunlight had the highest sunburn damage to the berries and leaves, and loss of yield. The greatest yield loss caused by berry damage in the present study during the experimental period was in cultivar 'Ben Sarek': 9.0% in 2010 and 15.4% in 2011. Growing in the shade of light-green net contributed the highest content of ascorbic acid. Control bushes and those shaded by light-green net had significantly higher radical scavenging activity, with values between 1.15 and 1.22 mg mL(-1).
Conclusion: Plants shaded by nets in both years of cultivation had lower damage to leaves and berries and percentage of loss of yield, and usage of the net would be economically advantageous to growers. Fruit of blackcurrant cultivars grown in shading conditions still represent a good source of valuable nutritive and biologically active compounds.
Keywords: DPPH; ascorbic acid; biological traits; blackcurrants; shading nets; yield.
© 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.