Crop net is use as a tutoring net for vegetables and flowers. It substitutes the traditional method of cultivating “on ground” and the inefficient raffia based supporting technique.

Crop net both in vertical and horizontal installations, permits a neater arrangement of the plant canopy and a more uniform exposure to solar light of the fruits. It facilitates the process of pollination so it increases the total production. Fruits grow with a bigger size, healthier and less stressed and so result more valuable on the market.

One of the main objective of tutoring using this net is to preserve the fruits from the attacks of the diseases.

Improving ventilation among the leaves reduces the risk of accumulating bacteria and of developing mycosis. Several viruses can turns out very aggressive and cause a severe loss of yield.

Preventing the risk of viruses is the best way to keep the plants safe and to favor an organical growth. And crop net is a way of protect the plant from be infect by viruses.

Viruses cannot reproduce autonomously. They always need live cells to persist. Usual vectors for transmitting viruses are aphids, insects or trips. But also the hands of the workers can be convert in a mean of spreading viruses.

The human intervention is less with crop netting. In fact, differently from the system that applies raffia, there is no need of the diary tutoring of the plant labour. Plant are less managed. As a consequence the suffer of inferior mechanical stress.

And also the risk of contagion is significantly reduce.

Because of a viral infection, many metabolic alterations can occur in plants. The most important are:

• Alteration of the fotosintesis process

• Increment in energy consumption

• Reduction of the hormones responsible for the plant development

• Increase of sugar accumulation that causes tissues alterations

Example of the effects of viruses on plants:

– Plants can suffer of dwarfism or gigantism

– Changes in leaves: color and shape – yellow, clearer green or white spots, necrosis, mosaic –

– Fruits and flowers: alterations in shape and color, structural asymmetries, deformities, atrophies, irregular growth

– Branches and stems: necrosis, irregular growth, development of neoplastic masses, supernumerous sprouts, torsions

ToMV or Mosaic tobacco Virus

This type of virus can affect tomatoes and pepper plants. It is more frequent in spring and in greenhouses. Symptoms can be observed especially on leaves which can deform, present mosaic spots and necrosis. Fruits mature irregularly and can have discolored yellow-green areas. They can not be consumed or commercialized.

CMV or Mosaic cucumber Virus

This type of virus can affect not only cucumbers, but also eggplants and most of the cucurbitaceae, such as pumpkins, melons, watermelons, zucchini. Growth is strongly reduced and so flower production. Fruits lose their commercial value.

Crop net helps to reduce the risk of viruses by limiting the necessity of handling the plants frequently. In fact the hands of the workers can be affected by the virus and this is then easily spread among the entire cultivation.

In case of using raffia, which requires a continuous manipulation of the plant, risk of contagion is much higher.

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