Why Do Apples Need to Be Bagged?
Let's understand together the knowledge of why apples need to be bagged, which is not known to most people in the field of horticulture.
Why Do Apples Need to Be Bagged?
Bagging apples is not only time-consuming but also labor-intensive. However, bagging apples can greatly reduce fruit diseases, make it difficult for insects to infest the fruit, and also reduce the spread of diseases, ensuring a better appearance of the fruit. Of course, with the film on the apples, it can also reduce the trouble of fruits being damaged by birds, and bagging can also prevent fruit cracking and frost damage, making the fruit skin cleaner and smoother in appearance.
Apples are deciduous trees that can grow up to 15 meters tall, but cultivated trees are usually only about 3-5 meters tall. The trunk is gray-brown, and the bark peels off to some extent.
The flowering period of apple trees depends on the climate of different regions, but it usually集中在 around April to May. Moreover, apples are cross-pollinating plants, and most varieties cannot produce fruit with self-pollination.
The Functions of Bagging Apples
Bagging apples is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but it also brings many benefits.
1. Bright coloring
Bagging can significantly improve fruit coloring, achieving fully red fruit, a smooth and beautiful fruit surface without fruit rust, and good appearance. This avoids the phenomenon of increased unilateral light exposure without bagging. After bagging, the coloring area is over 90%, thereby enhancing the commercial value of the fruit.
2. Preventing diseases and pests
After bagging, the fruit is isolated from the outside world, preventing the invasion of pathogens and pests, reducing the spread of diseases, and ensuring a better appearance of the fruit. For example, bagging can effectively prevent and control diseases and pests such as ring rot, sooty mold, spot anthracnose, freckle disease, peach fruit borer, and pear spring worm.
3. Reducing hail damage
Hail often occurs during the young fruit stage when the fruit is small and suspended in the bag. If hail falls on the swollen bag, it reduces its mechanical impact, which can protect the fruit from damage.
According to our survey, when bagged apples are hit by small hail, the bagged fruit is not affected. However, when non-bagged fruit is severely damaged by hail, the bagged fruit is less affected. For example, this year's hail disaster in Shandong has caused many fruit farmers to suffer losses.
Is It Better to Bag Apples or Not?
1. In terms of pesticide application
Bagging apples is beneficial for producing green food since the fruit does not come into direct contact with pesticides and can also reduce the number of pesticide applications.
Then, apples in non-bagged orchards need to be sprayed with pesticides 8 times a year, while those in bagged orchards usually need only 4-5 times. This can effectively reduce the residue of pesticides, which is beneficial for producing pollution-free green food.
2. In terms of economic benefits
Bagging apples during cultivation certainly brings higher economic benefits. In recent years, the apple market has shifted from a seller's market to a buyer's market, and merchants have stricter requirements for fruit quality.
Some orchards may have high yields but low commercial rates, resulting in poor profitability. Bagging can increase the commercial rate of orchards to about 90%, with delicate and smooth fruit surfaces, bright coloring, excellent appearance, low pesticide residues, high selling prices, and easy sales. From the market situation, bagged fruit is about twice the price of non-bagged fruit and is in high demand.
The comprehensive explanation of why apples need to be bagged shared above is hoped to be of help to you.