title: Biological and nutritional properties of blackcurrant berries (Ribes nigrum L.) under conditions of shading nets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Changes of environmental factors, created under the influence of various shading nets, could significantly affect the biological characteristics of plants grown in such conditions as well as biosynthesis of primary metabolites and ascorbic acid. Five blackcurrant cultivars - 'Ben Sarek', 'Ben Nevis', 'Ben Lomond', 'Ometa' and 'Čačanska Crna' - were cultivated in the shade of two green polyethylene nets and exposed to direct sunlight during two experimental seasons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the control treatment, all cultivars contained the highest amounts of soluble solid content and number of flower buds per shoot in both years of cultivation. The bushes exposed to direct sunlight had the highest sunburn damage to the berries and leaves, and loss of yield. The greatest yield loss caused by berry damage in the present study during the experimental period was in cultivar 'Ben Sarek': 9.0% in 2010 and 15.4% in 2011. Growing in the shade of light-green net contributed the highest content of ascorbic acid. Control bushes and those shaded by light-green net had significantly higher radical scavenging activity, with values between 1.15 and 1.22 mg mL(-1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plants shaded by nets in both years of cultivation had lower damage to leaves and berries and percentage of loss of yield, and usage of the net would be economically advantageous to growers. Fruit of blackcurrant cultivars grown in shading conditions still represent a good source of valuable nutritive and biologically active compounds.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, 11080, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Boban
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Djordjevic
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medicinal Plants Research 'Dr Josif Pančić', 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Šavikin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, 11080, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Dejan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Djurovic
authors.affiliation: Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veberic
authors.affiliation: Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikulič Petkovšek
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medicinal Plants Research 'Dr Josif Pančić', 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zdunić
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, 11080, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Todor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vulic
mesh_terms: D001565:Benzoates; D001577:Benzophenones; D002934:Cinnamates; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005638:Fruit / Q000254:growth & development*; D006801:Humans; D009753:Nutritive Value; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development; D031965:Ribes; D012621:Seasons; D013472:Sunlight
chemical_list: D001565:Benzoates; D001577:Benzophenones; D002934:Cinnamates; D004338:Drug Combinations; C081266:Shade UVAGuard
keywords: DPPH; ascorbic acid; biological traits; blackcurrants; shading nets; yield