16
THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • APRIL 2018
• FILMS
their films and thebenefits they bring. Thedevelopment
of our UVopen film has enabled us toproduceproducts
that bring a number of benefits togrowers including leaf
colour, taste and flavour, shelf-life andquality of plants.
We are finding that thebenefits are increasing as the
quality of filmdoes.”He adds: “Muchof our research
work is basedongetting themaximumout of the light
spectrum and identifying how that will helpgrowers in
different ways.” Anewproduct is expected fromVisqueen
either late in 2018or early 2019. Thiswill combine all the
latest properties in the film aswell as further research
work on anti-condensatingproperties.
In theNetherlands, Ben vander Heide of VDH
Foliekassen reports a continued highdemand for
greenhouse structureswithplastic. “The advances in film
technologymeans that if you chose the right structure and
film thenpolythene canbe just as effective as glass,” he
tells TheCommercial GreenhouseGrower.
VDHpoly greenhouses are ideal formost types of crops,
aswell as youngplants and flowering andbedding
plants. The company says that crops grownwithin its
greenhouses areproven tobe generallymore hardywith
‘more compact habit andmore intensive colouring.’
“Also, it is believed that these structures and the films
don’t last as longbut in fact with the combinationof the
filmbeing tensionedmechanically and having thebest
quality structuresmeans they are lasting a very long time,”
saysMr vander Heide. He says 5-7 layer films are now
being frequently used in theNetherlands and the results
are givinggrowersmore confidence togrow under film.
VDH use thermal anti-condensationplastic films from
BPI Visqueen films aredeveloped inpartnershipwith leading
plant scientists.
