Nathanaël Jacquart, a market gardener in Puy-de-Dôme, had no choice but to adapt to the drought. Abandonment of growing certain vegetables and reducing the cultivated area: these are the consequences of the drop in rainfall over the last few years. This market gardener therefore decided to install Alphatex shade nets to protect his vegetables and his land from the sun.
Article originally published in issue 32 (Summer 2021) of La Luciole magazine.
The shade net against the drought
Nathanaël Jacquart is market gardener in Luzillat since 2008. However, since several years, drought have been reducing the yields from his land. “Between the end of 2018 and the end of 2020, we have seen a 30% drop in our turnover.” comments N. Jacquart. The combined effects of the lack of rain and frost had a significant impact on his production. “On average, there was 600mm of rain per year on my land. For the last two years, rainfall has been reach 400 mm.”
With increasing irrigation requirements, this change has forced him to adapt. The idea of installing a shade net came after the following observation : “In may 2019, we cultivated lettuces in bleached greenhouses. All the vegetables were in shade, but the first row was in the sun. In this first row, we lost 50% of the lettuces, while the rest were fine.”
In May 2021, Nathanaël Jacquart decided to adopt this solution.
For technical advice on the use of netting in horticulture :
To combat the sun’s rays, shading is the only solution. After receiving advices from Alphatex, he chose black netting with 20% shading.
Following the installation, the grower has already noticed a number of effects, even though the net has only recently been installed. First of all, despite a summer that was wetter than in previous years, he noted that “when the temperatures rose in the spring, I noticed that the ground dried more slowly and that the artichokes in the shade were greener.“ Encouraging initial results.
These nets are also effective in protecting crops from hail and limiting crusting during heavy rain. His fears about the lack of aeration were quickly allayed, as he detected no change in disease. Moreover, their presence has no impact on his working methods. “The only extra load in winter is folding and unfolding the nets” admits the market gardener.
Adapting to climate change is a major challenge for all farmers. The use of netting, whether to provide shade or protection from wind or hail, could be the answer to these new and recurring problems. Alphatex can help you from a technical point of view to choose the netting adpated to your needs and to install it. If you don’t want to miss our actuality or promotional offers, you can follow our LinkedIn page dedicated to horticulture.
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