Agralia, a Spanish agrotextile company dedicated to crop protection for more than 40 years, has always made innovation one of its main strengths. The constant search for solutions to the needs of farmers around the world has led to the development of new and cutting-edge products like Agrifresh, the thermal screen with aluminum patented by Agralia.
Thanks to the Agralia’s patent, it has been possible to add specific additives with aluminum directly in the fabrics during the manufacturing process. The aluminum microparticles block the infrared radiation and reduce the temperature more than other shade meshes.
It exists a wide range of shade meshes on the market: black, white, green, grey, but just Agrifresh includes aluminum in the fabric. In addition, the colored meshes have the disadvantage of absorbing a part of the radiation, causing the decrease of photosynthetically active radiation and the increase of the temperature of the mesh (and therefore, of the internal temperature of the greenhouse).
At the laboratory Aimplas from Valencia, European reference point of plastic, a sample of a 50 % black shade mesh and a Agrifresh RR50 sample have been analyzed. This test has analyzed the thermicity of the fabrics according to the standard UNE- EN 13206, in other words, the ability to block the infrared radiation. The results have demonstrated that Agrifresh can block 66 % of the infrared radiation as compared to 30 % of the black mesh.
In addition, the light that passes through the fabric is more evenly spread around the plant, even in the lower parts that normally receive less radiation. The diffuse light allows a greater net photosynthesis that changes into a bigger production and a bigger profitability.
Agrifresh finds its perfect use in the protection of IV range vegetables, berries, young fruit trees and all those crops that need protection from the excess radiation and the temperature in summer. It can be manufactured with different percentages of shade and can be use externally in greenhouses, internally or directly as a shade structure.
In short, Agrifresh creates the best microclimatic conditions for plant development thanks to the aluminum that exerts a double action of reflection of infrared radiation and diffusion of the light with a consequent decrease in temperature and increase in photosynthetically active radiation.