Polypropylene fabrics are materials designed by design to dumb down and block weed growth. Thanks to their structure, they have high mechanical strength and provide maximum protection against weed growth. Equally important for plant growers is the fact that they allow water and air to pass through, which contributes to rapid plant growth, such as in plantations.
What we gain by using fabrics:
- Protection against weed growth,
- Limiting the use of herbicides,
- Reduce evaporation of water from the soil,
- Raising the temperature which has a beneficial effect on accelerating vegetation,
- Protection against soil erosion,
- Cleanliness at container yards and manufacturing facilities,
- Crop lighting when white fabrics are used – affecting better growth of plants such as tomatoes,
- Improving the quality of the fruit produced-e.g., better coloration (lumilys),
- Ability to work on container ships even during harsh weather conditions.
– It is possible to isolate three main parameters that characterize and indicate the quality of a particular fabric,” says Michal Stuchlik a Ceres International specialist. – These parameters include UV stabilization, grammage, tape coloring. No less important parameters are the type and density of weave, the amount of webbing used to produce 1 m2 of fabric as well as the resistance of the webbing to tearing. All of the above-mentioned parameters directly affect the durability, lifespan and effectiveness of the fabric. Hence, only the highest quality fabrics are available in the Ceres store, i.e. guaranteeing minimum weeding and maximum access to light and water – Stuchlik emphasizes.
What you need to know about UV stabilization
Polypropylene is a plastic that is sensitive to UV radiation. Under its influence, it loses its properties, becomes brittle and cracks. This is a negative feature for a fabric made of 100% polypropylene. In order to prolong the life and durability of polypropylene tapes, so-called “polyester tapes” are added during their production. UV stabilizers that protect and extend the life of polypropylene. As a result, fabrics, even of low weight, can last for several years without signs of wear or deterioration. The parameter we use to determine the length of UV stabilization is the kly (kilo langley), a unit that determines the average annual insolation. Under Polish climatic conditions, the scale varies between 90 and 100 kly per year. We are talking about direct exposure of the material to UV radiation, which is not the case in horticultural, nursery, plantation applications, because the fabrics are usually shaded through the pots that are placed on them, plants, mechanical covers in the form of tunnel films, shade nets, etc.
Once you have knowledge of the stabilizers that affect the service life of polypropylene, it is worth supplementing it with information on how they react with certain chemical compounds. The issue is the sensitivity of stabilizers in particular to sulfur, chlorine, copper or iron derivatives, which can accelerate their degradation and thus the analogous process for the whole fabric. It is important to know that any treatment with agents based on these ingredients or their derivatives can adversely affect fabric durability and usability. Fortunately, a growing number of plant producers are beginning to reduce the use of aggressive and toxic pesticides in favor of friendly, beneficial and environmentally friendly microorganisms.
White fabrics, or tomatoes, cucumbers and cut flowers
Touching on the subject of UV rays, it is impossible not to mention the color of the fabrics themselves. White is especially appreciated by producers of tomatoes, or cucumbers. In this case, the white fabric, in addition to protecting the ground and keeping things tidy, is intended to reflect as much light as possible during the cloudy months, which in turn coincide with the beginning of plant vegetation. This is very important especially precisely in the cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers, which start very early, as early as the end of December, early January, periods when the amount of sunlight is very limited. Any additional percentage of reflected light from the white fabric can affect the growth and, further down the line, the yield and quality of vegetables.
White fabric is also often used in the cultivation of cut flowers such as roses. Here, too, the effect of reflected light is used to illuminate the plants, especially in facilities with artificial lighting of the crop.
Fabric weights under a magnifying glass
Grammage is a parameter that tells us what is the surface weight of 1 square meter of a given fabric. In Poland, the most common fabric in use is 100g/m2. Based on this parameter, it is possible to categorize the fabrics indicatively in terms of their application.
- Fabrics with a weight of about 70 – 80 g are used very often as weed control materials for home gardens (hobby market).
- Fabrics of about 90-100 g/m2 are commonly used by manufacturers in the broader horticultural industry.
- Fabrics of 130-140 grams are used for container plants built on “lava” or aggregate, but for light use, i.e. transport by handcarts possibly with light machinery. For aggregate and heavy-duty applications, such as plant distribution with forklifts, tractors, etc. A special 200 g/m2 fabric is used.
A parameter that is very much related to the grammage and directly affects the mechanical strength of the fabric is the number of threads per 1 m2 of fabric. It is worth keeping this in mind when choosing the right fabric. The narrower the threads, the more you can fit them both along and across the fabric. This results in fabrics that, for the same weight, are more resistant to ripping and mechanical damage.
Tape coloration vs. weeds
The fabrics suppress weed growth by cutting off light access to the soil surface. A seedling that germinates under the fabric deprived of access to light does not have enough energy to break through the fabric barrier. It starts to grow, but after a short time it dies out. Therefore, a very important parameter is the coloration of the tape. The darker the tape, the less light it lets through and the more effective it is at stopping weed growth. No less important in blocking light access is the type and density of the weave as well as its alignment. By using narrow bands (described above), high precision weave is achieved ? on the fabric it is difficult to find imperfections in the form of gaps between the tapes, through which light penetrates, the tapes are compact, hold the structure and do not separate during use (no clearances form between the tapes). These factors also affect the quality of the fabric and the effectiveness of weed suppression. The even weave also affects the quality of the fabric during unfolding – the fabric does not shrink holds the line, the unrolled 100 m roll is straight – it does not go to the side, does not wrinkle.
The quality of the input material also matters during fabric production. It has a direct impact on the quality of the tapes produced, which translates into fabric quality. The leading fabric manufacturers that Ceres International works with produce the tapes in-house. The process itself is complicated and its success depends on small details that dozens of engineers have been working on for years. Once the tape is received, it is pre-shrunk in many cases, which prevents the fabric from shrinking symptoms in the field. By sourcing input material from reliable suppliers, fabric manufacturers can provide us with the highest quality material with repeatable parameters, which translates into repeatability between batches.
It is worth noting that the fabrics are permeable to water and air, so they can be used in horticulture, do not limit the growth of plants, on the contrary, they have a positive effect on improving soil moisture, reduce erosion and accelerate the vegetation of plants.
– At Ceres, we pride ourselves on our ability to prepare (stitch) fabric to meet customers’ needs up to 30m wide. Such personalized fabrics provide ideal coverage for the container as well as generate significant savings in the time and cost of laying out the fabric – Michal Stuchlik emphasizes. – We also offer our customers two unique and never-before-seen fabrics: the first one is a fabric used in orcharding, which is designed to further illuminate the fruit on the trees for better coloration (red color). It is mainly used in the production of club apples. The second is a 100% biodegradable fabric, so that we reduce the harmful impact on the environment to a minimum, he adds.
To learn more visit: Agrotkaniny – Ceres.pl
