How a New Greenhouse Film Can Help Growers Boost Crop Yields
March 20, 2023 
Polyethylene (PE) films have transformed the greenhouse industry due to their superior functional properties, the lower initial investment, and the ease of maintenance compared to alternatives such as glass and polycarbonate. Years ago, PE covers were considered the inexpensive protective solution, but with advancements in materials science, they have become an invaluable growth tool for farms all around the world and the predominant material for the industry.
Despite being the most popular choice for several decades, conventional PE films have fallen short in providing extended anti-condensate (AC) (or anti-dripping) functionality due to the migratory additive-based composition of materials used. This composition results in a gradual loss of these features well before the end of the film’s lifetime, typically in 18 to 24 months. To exacerbate matters, conventional AC tends to cause mist (or fog) in the greenhouse during early morning and before dawn when sharp fluctuations in temperature occur.
The negative impacts of condensation, dripping, and fog on crops are well known, as they diminish the quality and quantity of light, harm crops, and create conditions for fungal diseases to develop. This not only leads to reduced yields and slower crop cycles but also poorer crop quality and a greater dependence on pesticides. As a result, growers frequently replace their films years before their useful lifetime.
In response to those persistent challenges, Plastika Kritis, a large greenhouse film manufacturer, has developed a new solution using nanotechnology. The company’s EVO AC film (short for Evolution in Anti-Condensation) not only provides powerful anti-drip and anti-mist effects, but also sustains these critical features over an extended period. Many growers have reported that this eight-layer polyethylene film retains its properties for the entire four-year lifespan. In some cases where the film exceeded the guaranteed lifetime, EVO AC was shown to endure for as long as the film itself.
Since its launch in 2016, EVO AC has become a film of choice for professional growers worldwide across a diverse range of crops, from vegetables to flowers and fruits.
“We can’t afford to have droplets falling into the greenhouse. They severely affect germination and plant growth. High humidity levels and fog are equally undesirable because they create diseases,” says Robbie Johnson, General Manager at California Transplants, a large vegetable transplant farm. “With other films, when we noticed droplets after one or two years, we would immediately change the plastic. This meant extra cost to replace the film and a crew to install. We have now covered all our greenhouses in our 3.5 million square foot farms with EVO AC.”
Growers in Canada, Mexico, Europe, China, and other areas have been using EVO AC under every climate. For instance, in areas with very cold climate, regular AC can’t be effective because when external temperature drops below 15°F (-10°C), the additives in the film crystallize and AC becomes ineffective. EVO AC functions effectively down to extremely low temperatures.
“Condensation blocks valuable light. We need as much light as possible, so we use EVO AC because of the extreme clarity and the effective anti-drip,” says Paul Dyck, owner of Great Lakes Greenhouses in Ontario, Canada, one of the first in North America to convert his entire farm to EVO AC. We have had the same covers for more than four years, and they work just like day one. It’s a strong, rigid film.”
All those characteristics create a healthier growing environment that eventually leads to higher crop yields and earliness. In Turkey, a tomato farm reported that with the use of EVO AC they were able to increase production from 7.5lbs/plant to 11lbs/plant while trials conducted on cannabis by Prof. Bilalis at the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece, showed that EVO AC UV-open outperformed regular films on crop yield and qualitative characteristics. This is not surprising, given the sensitivity of cannabis plants to humidity and dripping, as well as its need for maximum light at the appropriate periods.
According to EVO AC manufacturer Plastika Kritis (PlastikaKritis.com), the development of the film has the potential to transform the greenhouse industry by providing the longest-lasting anti-condensation available and enabling more efficient and sustainable agricultural practices across all types of crops. Plastika Kritis continues to invest in cutting-edge films that address grower needs and positively impact a farm’s bottom line. The company plans to soon release the next generation of EVO AC products, which are designed to significantly increase the amount of light transmission in the greenhouse. In the U.S., EVO AC films are sold under the Sunmaster Films brand and are available in both crystal and high-diffusion versions, depending on the type of greenhouse, area, and crop.
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