Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Vedeta) were grown during 2008–2009 in a plastic tunnel (2.5 m high), covered with a polyethylene film (0.15 mm thick; Ginegar Plastic Products-Ltd.).
The experiments were performed in an experimental garden located in the village of Moravac near Aleksinac (longitude: 21◦42_E, latitude: 43◦30_N, altitude 159 m) in the central area of south Serbia.
The shade nets were applied at the start of warm weather in early June.
The houses were shaded for the rest of the summer and vegetables were harvested until late August.
A completely randomized block design was used, with four blocks assigned to each of four treatments (black, pearl, blue and red net) plus control.
Each treatment and block consisted of four rows of 20 plants.