What Is an Agricultural Polymer?
Agricultural polymer is a sheet-like material used mainly for mulching, tunnel cultivation, and in-house tunnel cultivation.
Because of its weather resistance, agricultural polymer is effective in protecting crops from direct sunlight, cold winds, and rain. Agricultural film sheets can be broadly classified into soft and hard, with agricultural polycaps being classified as soft. Rigid film, on the other hand, is used for roof-type greenhouses.
Uses of Agricultural Polymers
Because of its versatility and softness, agricultural polymer is used as a versatile agricultural material for small tunnel films, plastic greenhouse curtains, and other applications. It can also be used as a mulching material by covering ridges to prevent weeds, mud splashes, frost protection, heat and moisture retention, and more.
To prevent the agricultural poly from peeling off in the wind, it is best to hold it down with soil, house bands, or clips.
Features of Agricultural Polymers
Agricultural polymer is an abbreviation for agricultural polyethylene, which is made from a soft polyethylene film material.
The difference between Agricultural PO (trademark registered), a member of the Agricultural Poly family, is in the material. Agricultural PO is characterized by its multilayer molding of polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate.
Pros
Although the thickness of polyethylene-made Noh-PO is very thin (0.02 mm to 0.1 mm), its advantages are its strength, durability, dust resistance, and transparency.
It is also less expensive than other covering materials, about half the price of agricultural vinyl. Its lightweight and low stickiness makes it easy to handle.
Disadvantages
While it can be expected to increase temperatures, it does not retain heat as well as agricultural vinyl. Although it is strong enough, Nou-Poly is thin and has little elasticity, so care must be taken not to stretch it too tightly.
Although Nou-Poly is susceptible to sulfur contained in agricultural chemicals, products with a sulfur resistance function have been developed for Nou-Poly.
Types of Agricultural Polymers
There are many types of agricultural polystyrene, including those used for tunnel cultivation, weed avoidance during mulch cultivation, and colored, and specially processed polystyrene. There are also multiple colors for mulch, including transparent, black, and silver, as well as types and sizes with holes.
Although there are many different types and names depending on the manufacturer, here are some typical types of agricultural polymers.
1. General Agricultural Polypropylene for Tunnel Cultivation
Lightweight and durable general agricultural polypropylene is useful for growing vegetables, flowers, and rice seedlings in tunnels. For rain protection of fruits such as grapes and cherries, and for softening the sun in summer, agricultural polypropylene with enhanced weather resistance is suitable, and for long-term use, agricultural PO is often used.
2. Agricultural Polypropylene for Mulch
Agricultural polypropylene used for mulch comes in a variety of colors, including transparent, black, black-white, green, and silver. The transparent type of mulch sheet allows light to penetrate easily, making it suitable for disinfecting soil in mid-summer and for crops that require an increase in soil temperature.
Black and black-white types suppress the rise in soil temperature and are therefore effective for use in summer and for low-temperature crops. Green mulch sheets combine weed and insect repellency and reduce farm labor.
Silver mulch is also used in low pesticide cultivation because its light-reflecting effect makes it less likely to attract pests.
3. Silver Polyethylene
Silver polyethylene is used for rice seedling cultivation and grafting. Compared to general agricultural polypropylene, it has superior temperature control properties and is non-sticky.
Silver polycarbonate with high light-shielding properties and a low-foaming sheet welded to one side is also used.
4. Agricultural Polypoly Used for Greenhouses, Etc.
Nou-Poly is also used as an inner curtain for vinyl greenhouses. For example, the special microporous and non-drip treated types are effective in preventing crops from getting wet and thus preventing diseases caused by wetting the crops.
Other products on the market include agricultural PO for greenhouses, which creates an air layer between the film and the film to keep the temperature 4 degrees Celsius higher than the outside temperature at night, and specially formulated applied agricultural PO that is suitable for long-term extension.
How to Choose Agricultural Polymers
The basic rule of thumb is to choose agricultural polypropylene based on its intended use, such as whether it is to be used for tunnel cultivation or as a greenhouse material. It is also recommended to select environmentally friendly products, such as non-polluting special agricultural polypropylene, agricultural polypropylene that does not contain heavy metals or chlorine and does not produce toxic gases when incinerated, and agricultural polypropylene that is highly biodegradable.
Other Information on Agricultural Polymers
1. Standards for Agricultural Polymers
The JIS standards for agricultural polyethylene terephthalate (ATP) specify standards for thickness, dimensions, material, strength, and other specifications. There are five thickness classifications, ranging from 0.1 mm for Type 1 to 0.02 mm for Type 5.
Dimensions range from 950 mm (width) x 50 m (length) to 1,800 mm (width) x 100 m (length), but the use of dimensions other than those specified in the standards is not allowed.
2. Use of Agricultural Polymers
Although Nou-Poly is an agricultural material, it is also used in unique ways for outdoor activities. In some cases, it is used as a ground sheet when camping because it can keep out moisture from the ground.
It is also used as a tarp to protect against wind and dew in outdoor activities.