Korean Journal of Agricultural Science ISSN:2466-2402(Print) 2466-2410(Online) 농업과학연구

This study evaluated the impact of rain shelters made of plastic film on spring frost damage and fruit quality in Asian pears (‘Niitaka’) over two years. In 2021, during the coldest spring days (between 0:00 am and 7:00 am), temperatures dropped to -1.20 - 0.43℃ at 120 cm and -1.33 - 0.57℃ at 200 cm above ground level in the control. Conversely, the rain shelter treatment maintained higher temperatures, -0.40 - 0.87℃ at 120 cm and -0.43 - 0.77℃ at 200 cm. Flower damage was significantly lower in the rain-sheltered group, with incidences of 1.3 and 6.9% at 120 and 200 cm, respectively, compared with 18.1 and 22.6% in the control group. Visual observations verified the prevention of frost adhesion on flower organs in the sheltered group, compared with noticeable pistil death and petal browning in the control group. In 2022, when temperatures remained above 0℃, fruitlet stalk length was 5 - 6 mm longer in the sheltered group. The cumulative impact of rain shelters was evident in the improved fruit quality over the two years. This study suggests resilient cultivation strategies in the face of climate change to reduce frost damage, increase productivity, improve fruit quality, and potentially increase incomes of the farmers.