Netting nearly doubles fruit yields in Israeli orchards

Agricultural experts from Israel's Ministry of Agriculture have found that deploying black shade nets with 90% coverage significantly boosts fruit production. Following trials across 30 orchard plots, including the Golan Heights and the Shfela region, researchers observed that the nets help deciduous trees accumulate the necessary 'chill hours' required to emerge from winter dormancy. As warmer winters increasingly threaten yields, the nets provide a cooling effect that increased accumulated chill hours by 24% and boosted average yields by 82%, with some orchards doubling production from one to two tons per dunam. Itay Bamberger, an orchard instructor at the ministry, noted that while the seasonal installation costs between 4,000 and 5,000 shekels per dunam, the financial gains—particularly in cherry orchards, which saw an additional 8,000 to 15,000 shekels in annual revenue—make the method highly cost-effective. Hagai Shnir, director of the ministry’s Extension Service, described the innovation as a vital tool for maintaining stable agricultural production and food security amidst the ongoing climate crisis.