Growth, fruit production, and disease occurrence of rain-sheltered Asian pear trees

•Rain shelters increased tree growth and fruit productivity of Asian pear trees.•Rain shelters reduced frost damage and disease incidence of leaves or fruit.•Rain shelters contributed to high economic return in an organic pear orchard.

Tree performance, fruit production, and disease occurrence were compared for ‘Niitaka’ Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) trees grown under open-field or rain-shelter system in two organic orchards. The study was conducted in two provinces, Naju (orchard A) with young pear trees in 2012 and 2013 and Namwon (orchard B) with mature pear trees in 2012. Pear trees under the rain shelter showed higher overall tree canopy growth, number of leaves, and fruit set in both orchards, with less frost damage to flower clusters due to preventing decreasing canopy temperature during flowering in orchard A. Trees grown under the rain-shelter system had higher fruit yield, average fruit weight, crop density, fruit soluble solid contents, titratable acidity, and fruit skin color L*, as well as reduced disease incidence of leaves or fruit, all of which would likely contribute to higher economic return compared to those from open-field systems.