Plastic greenhouses help to increase and secure the yield. But greenhouse films are exposed to high UV radiation, heat build-up on the greenhouse supports, and the effects of crop protection as well as soil disinfection chemicals. Therefore, the films have to be stabilized with the right light stabilizers and UV absorbers.
Greenhouses, as well as small and large tunnels, provide an ideal environment for plants. They protect vegetables from the effects of frost, wind and rain, ensure uniformly high quality and help fruit, vegetables and flowers to ripen faster, allowing several crops to be harvested in one year. Moreover, modern plastic film can be tailored specifically to the unique light and temperature requirements of many field-grown fruits and vegetables. At the same time, plastic film helps to reduce water consumption by reducing evaporation.
Whenever converters produce a greenhouse film, they have to allow for solar irradiance, expected film durability, type of cultivation and type and frequency of agro-chemicals used. BASF's light stabilizers allow converters to match any combination of these conditions. In addition, the manifestation and spread of pests inside greenhouses can be influenced by the use of BASF UV absorbers.
