It is important for farmers to optimize and adapt technologies and methods for crops in the greenhouse. Thoughtful solutions will make the facility ideal for development, growth and fruiting of plants. The location of the foil tunnel itself is an important factor, influencing condition and quality of our vegetables and fruits.
Another important element to consider is a ventilation system, which must generate air movement into the building in a functional way. Agro textile, commonly called gardening fabric, is also frequently used. When preparing for the growing season, it is a good idea to choose a suitable cover suited to your species. By applying a cover, we improve crop yields, maintain optimum soil moisture and control weed growth.
Proper watering for crops under cover depends on the substrate. The applied fertilizers, their quality, the frequency and amount of water affect the process of rooting. Careful observation of the plant’s demands regarding these factors enable to optimize the production process. Garden fabrics improve water retention in soil.
Plastic mulch in foil tunnel
Polypropylene fabric is a different agro cover. It is a mulch material for soil. As the name suggests, this mulch is made of polypropylene fibers. When selecting a cover, it is important to calculate the size of the seedling before ordering. The method used is that the volume of fabric should be 6 to 10 dm3 per square meter. During the growth of plants, we plan for a bigger space, so that during development of shoots. The growing vegetables have at their disposal the space needed for fruiting.
In order for the agro textile to function appropriately, it must be properly applied. When preparing the substrate, we remove stones, roots and any impurities. We level the terrain by spreading the cover over the new beds. The spread of geotextiles before cultivation can also be a more effective solution. In case the plants are already growing, we try to create as few gaps as possible, overlapping sheets of fabric to avoid growth of weeds.
The favorable mat layout optimizes air-water conditions while maintaining economic watering parameters. Water and fertilizer savings are visible after the first season.
Agro fabric and irrigation systems in horticultural tunnels
Using the humidification method for the root system together with the agro textile reduces the possibility of infestation anddisease whereas the automated system provides a precise dose of water, reducing cost generated by traditional watering. Capillary action supports the rooting of plants by directing water straight to the root, and associated with other modules, the place between seedlings will be ideally suited to crop rotation.
When using agro fabric for crops under cover, the plant health parameters improve, then the maturation process and fruiting process greatly improves uniform growth. By reducing the use of herbicides, the plants contain far less harmful chemicals, while the weed growing space is reduced by agro fabric.
In conclusion, the advantages of agro fabric in gardening tunnels will allow you to:
- Reduce weed growth and improve plant health
- Eliminate use of herbicides
- Stop loss of moisture in foil tunnels
- Generate heat for plants in periods of low temperature
- Reduce the cost of heating
- Heat the soil during vegetation
- Keep PH soil stable,
- Facilitate fertilizers absorption
- Enrich and increase yields
- Not biodegradable
- High UV resistance
Agro fabric in foil tunnels and greenhouses will give you results. An appropriately selected and properly laid cover of good quality will perfectly fulfill its functions. A well preserved cover retains its properties for many years. In small plastic tunnels, it saves you many hours of weeding, and for industrial crops under cover – it reduces herbicide’s expenses.