Description
Since 1976, Almería has evolved into a major greenhouse area for fruit and vegetable cultivation and Sotrafa has been one of its pioneers. Its factory was the first to be installed in the area. Since then the greenhouse crop area has increased dramatically together with the quality and variety of plastics in SOTRAFA. It is no coincidence that its range of plastics is the largest in Europe.
Crop growing under greenhouse is a well-known practice all around the world. However, it’s essential to perform a detailed assessment of the specific features that are needed for the film in order to choose the adequate plastic cover for our greenhouse. Our films:
- Are perfectly designed to adapt to the climate zone, the crop, and its cycle.
- Are extremely resistant to adverse weather conditions (wind, hail, rain, temperature variations…)
- Can contain a wide range of additives that enhance the film’s performance (anti-drip,
anti-fog, anti-virus, etc.)
Thermic films with Eva/Eba copolymers, manufactured using multilayer co-extrusion systems in different thickness, enhance the properties of the film with the correct application of raw material in each layer.
- With excellent mechanical properties and resistance to UV and chemical degradation.
- Optimum thermo-isolation to reduce temperature decreases at night.
- With excellent light transmission and diffusion
Multilayer co-extrusion films, manufactured from Eva and/or Eba copolymers, with thicknesses starting from 40 microns. This film has been designed for small tunnels, double greenhouse covers and floating cover.
- Excellent transmission of visible light with limited diffusion.
- It reduces the oscillation of the temperature of the greenhouse during the day and night
creating an optimum thermic level, avoiding vegetative stress. - Greater thermic protection of the crop inside the greenhouse during the winter.
- Excellent mechanical properties (traction, elongation, tearing).
- Film available with anti-condensation agents.
- Avoids drops of water from the cover to the plants.
- Cover protection of chemical degradation.
Berries: The distance between the plant and the cover film and the structure of the greenhouse have to be taken into account to give the cover material for berries its own identity. Our plastics are specially designed for this type of crop.
- Protection of the fruit against sunburns.
- Micro-climate control.
- Protection against adverse weather conditions.
Fruit Tree Covers: Traditionally, the only element of protection that has been used for fruit trees is mesh.
However, the use of film covers in combination with mesh has increasingly become more common. The size of the trees to be covered, as well as the manipulation needs of each type of crop heavily influence the design and the material of choice of the structure, which ultimately affects the features of the required film. This is why these film covers are specifically designed to adapt and resist all those variables that may influence yield performance.
These are:
- Protection from rain, hail, wind, and hostile weather conditions that could damage the crop.
- Improvement of the yield efficiency. Larger quantity of marketable fruit.
- Adequacy to the type of structure.
- With our reinforced PE range and reinforced laminated raffia range we offer the widest
variety of covers in the market.
Floriculture: The films designed for this purpose are developed highlighting the importance of their technological features. Namely, their optical properties, that are essential in the evaluation of the product. The choice of cover film is also decisive when dealing with the variables that affect the end quality of the flower. For instance:
- Thermic plastics that maintain the right temperature range to improve flower quality.
- Excellent protection against adverse weather conditions (freeze, rain, excess solar irradiation…)
- Color preservation:
- UV-open: improves color fixation.
- UV-close: prevents blackening of petals and reduces risk of disease.
Mulch: A wide variety of crops benefit from the application of mulch films in both open field and greenhouse / tunnel cultivation. The key characteristics to consider when choosing mulch applications in plasticulture are film color, opacity, reflection & barrier properties.
With biodegradable mulch films you must also consider the crop cycle and degradation of the film. These product attributes provide the grower with solutions for improved yields while also reducing production costs and environmental impact
Mulch Bio: Our commitment for sustainable agriculture, respect for the environment and the reduction of operational costs for farmers worldwide has contributed to the development of mulch films that degrade by organic descomposition (BIO).
These mulch films are non-contaminating and highly efficient for crops. In general, reyfilm bio products in 0.6 mil (15 microns) are used for cultivation cycles of 2 to 6 months, and for cultivations lasting 9 to 12 months, thicknesses of 0.8 mil (20 microns) are recommended.
Finally, for crops requiring durations of more than one year, thicknesses of at least 1.5 mil (40 microns) are recommended.
A Totally Impermeable Film (TIF) for fumigation in broadcast and row mulch applications.
An efficient and ultra-strong barrier film is achieved through the use of new generation resins in conjunction with advanced extrusion techniques for multi-layer polyethylene films.
Maximum fumigation effectiveness and crop yields are achieved through the design of a film with enhanced impermeability specifically engineered for soildisinfestation
