How to Lay Reflective Film in an Apple Orchard? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Laying Method
Apples are grown on a fairly large area in China, and once the apple trees enter the late stage of maturity, we should lay reflective film in the apple orchard. Laying reflective film can effectively improve the coloring of the apple fruit and increase the number of fully red fruits; combined with management work such as flower and fruit thinning and fruit turning, it can be of great help to the yield. So how should the reflective film in an apple orchard be laid? Below, the editor will give you a brief introduction. Let's take a look together!
1. Choosing the reflective film
There are now a great many reflective films to choose from on the market, and their quality varies, so you must pay close attention when choosing a reflective film. Give priority to reflective performance, moisture resistance, and oxidation resistance; the material is generally polypropylene or polyester aluminum foil, and a double-sided composite film is preferable. The reflectivity of this kind of reflective film can generally reach about 65%, and its service life can reach 4 years, which can reduce the investment in reflective film. There is also a single-layer aluminized film; although its price is relatively cheap, its quality is very poor, and its maximum service life will not exceed 4 years, so this kind of reflective film is generally not recommended.
2. Choosing the orchard
When laying reflective film, you must ensure the orchard has good light penetration; do not lay it in a densely shaded orchard. If the orchard is densely shaded and has poor light penetration, then the effect of the reflective film will be greatly reduced. Also, if there is no high level of management, the planting benefits are not ideal, and the main focus is the low-end market, then laying reflective film is likewise not recommended. This is because laying reflective film requires the orchard to have a relatively high level of management, mainly orchards that aim to produce high-quality fruit. The planting benefits are high and the returns are quick, and the laying effect of the reflective film can also be fully brought into play.
3. Preparation before laying the film
Before laying the film in the apple orchard, we must first do the preparatory work. For the soil in the orchard, promptly remove weeds, fallen fruit, and so on, then level the ground according to the direction of the apple tree rows, keeping it in a form that is high inside and low outside, with the height controlled at about 8 to 2 cm. This avoids water accumulating on the reflective film and affecting its reflective efficiency. Then prune away the vigorous shoots, excessively dense branches, and overlapping and crossing branches on the apple trees to improve the trees' light penetration. If the branches have useful value, then they should be appropriately bent. Finally, for drooping branches, use methods such as heading back and renewal pruning to maintain the distance between the branches and the ground.
4. Laying the film at the right time
The reflective film should generally be laid about 4 days after bag removal; if the fruit was not bagged, then the film should be laid about one month before picking. For densely planted apple orchards, laying between the rows should be the main approach; on the contrary, if the trees are planted as standard trees, then it should be laid within the shadow of the canopy. No matter which laying method is used, when laying, it must be laid along the direction of the apple tree rows. Place the reflective film at one end of the row, generally laying it while stepping back, then fix the reflective film with stones. The reflective film must not be too taut, to prevent a sudden temperature drop from tearing it. Then regularly clean off debris on the reflective film to ensure reflective efficiency.
The above is a brief introduction to how to lay reflective film in an apple orchard. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can help you!