The effect of screen type on crop micro-climate, reference evapotranspiration and yield of a screenhouse banana plantation

• Same banana yield obtained under four screens with different shading and texture.
• Reference LE in fall–winter was lower under the woven than the knitted screen.
• Woven screens may increase water use efficiency as compared to knitted screens.
• Leaf tearing was smaller under 10% woven than 10% knitted screen.

Most banana screenhouses are currently equipped with transparent screens, with a nominal shading of 8–15%. Two types of screens are widely used, woven or knitted, which differ in their texture and hence in their radiative and aerodynamic properties. These differences may induce different micro-climatic conditions and hence different atmospheric water demand, plant response and yield.We have investigated four types of screens based on different shading levels (8%, 10% or 13%) and different screen textures (woven or knitted). A large commercial banana plantation in Northern Israel was covered with patches of the four different screen types, each in 4–5 replicates, randomly located. Air velocity, temperature, humidity and net radiation were measured simultaneously below two out of the four screen types: the 10% woven and 10% knitted. The results showed that both the net radiation and air temperature were similar under these two screens. Nevertheless, under the knitted screen the horizontal mean air velocity was 18% higher and the specific humidity 8% lower than under the woven screen. Leaf lamina tearing (typical wind damage) and estimated reference evapotranspiration were higher under the knitted screen; the latter mainly during the fall–winter season. However, the horticultural measures of flowering and fruit yield characteristics were the same under all four screen types, with results typical of screenhouse banana plantations in this region. Hence, the results suggest a potential increase in water use efficiency under the woven as compared to the knitted screen.