Windbeschutting van cultuurgewassen, vooral onderzocht voor fruit

The use of wind-breaks in orchards was studied. Similar observations were carried out on early horticultural crops such as strawberry and potato, and on field crops such as rye, wheat, sugar-beet, and maize.

Net profits of 10-45 % with apple and 12-162 % with pear were calculated, if the wind-breaks were 4-6 h away (h = height of the wind-break). The analysis showed that wind-breaking had an important influence on fruit-setting. Higher mean temperature and humidity in sheltered places may favour pollination and fertilization. Therefore, the recommendation to plant more wind-breaks than usual should be accompanied by advice on planting of wind-break trees coming into leaf before blossom time.

Strawberries yielded significantly more and were much more profitable in sheltered areas. With early potato, higher revenues were obtained only by promoting earliness, perhaps through 'hothouse' conditions in the sheltered zone.

Smaller increases in yield were found for field crops in a zone of nearby 10 h away from the wind-break.