Experimental Evaluation of Anti-Rain Agricultural Nets: Structural Parameters and Functional Efficiency

Greta Mastronardi, Roberto Puglisi (), Sergio Castellano, Pietro Picuno, Audrey Maria Noemi Martellotta, Giacomo Scarascia Mugnozza () and Ileana Blanco
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Greta Mastronardi: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Roberto Puglisi: Department of Agricultural, Forest, Food, and Environmental Sciences (DAFE), University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano, n.10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Sergio Castellano: DAFNE Department, University of Foggia, 25 Napoli St., 71100 Foggia, Italy
Pietro Picuno: Department of Agricultural, Forest, Food, and Environmental Sciences (DAFE), University of Basilicata, Via dell’Ateneo Lucano, n.10, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Audrey Maria Noemi Martellotta: Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy
Giacomo Scarascia Mugnozza: Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, Building Engineering and Chemistry, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy
Ileana Blanco: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-18

Abstract: Plastic agrotextiles are increasingly used in modern agriculture to protect crops from adverse climatic events, such as excessive rainfall, wind, and solar radiation. Among these, anti-rain nets represent a promising solution to mitigate rain-induced disorders, such as fruit cracking, especially in crops sensitive to water excess. This study investigates the structural and functional properties of eight agrotextiles, including both anti-rain and anti-insect nets. The analysis focuses on geometric characteristics (porosity, thread diameter, mesh density) and on functional performance through experimental evaluation of air and rainwater permeability under different slope conditions. Air permeability was assessed using a wind tunnel, while rainwater permeability was tested via a rainfall simulation bench. The results demonstrate a stronger correlation between the air permeability index ( K a ) and the rainwater permeability index Φ rw (R 2 = 0.95–0.99), across different net slopes (10° and 30°), than between the net porosity and Φ rw (R 2 = 0.86–0.92). These findings emphasize the greater explanatory power of the dynamic performance indicator K a as a predictor of rainwater permeability, over purely geometric descriptors like porosity, since it inherently accounts for the dynamic performance of the air flow through the net. This contributes to the development of more effective and sustainable net-based crop protection systems tailored to specific environmental and agronomic needs.

Keywords: agrotextiles; rain permeability; air permeability; protective nets; porosity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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