Plant treatment material and method
OwnerJonathan Dallas Toyeinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a reflective plant treatment material comprising at least one pigment and having high reflectance of UV (280-400 nm), visible (400-700 nm) and near infrared (700-800 nm) radiation, but allowing at least part transmission of radiation of 800-2500 nm, and to use of the material and method of treating plants.
Claims133
A reflective plant treatment material which reflects at least 55% of the solar radiation in the UV (about 280-400 nm) range, which reflects more solar radiation than it transmits and absorbs in the UV, visible (about 400-700 nm) and near infrared (about 700-800 nm) ranges, and which transmits at least 5% of solar radiation in the range of about 800-20000 nm.
A reflective plant treatment material as claimed in claimed 35 wherein said white pigment is calcium carbonate.
A woven reflective plant treatment material having high reflectance of solar radiation in the UV, visible, and NIR ranges, which is woven from a majority of tapes of a plastic material containing at least 10% w/w of a white pigment.
A method of producing a woven reflective plant treatment material including the steps of:
- providing an extrudable resin comprising a polyolefin and at least 10% w/w of a white pigment admixed with the resin,
- extruding a film from the resin formulation,
- cutting the film into plastic tapes,
- orienting the plastic tapes to increase the strength of the tapes or alternatively orienting the film before cutting the film into tapes, and
- weaving the woven reflective plant treatment material from at least a majority of said plastic tapes.
The combination comprising:
- a plant growing in the ground, and
- a reflective plant treatment material adjacent the ground proximal to said growing plant, which reflective plant treatment material reflects at least 55% of solar radiation in the UV (about 280-400 nm) range, which reflects more solar radiation than it transmits and absorbs in the UV, visible (about 400-700 nm) and near infrared (about 700-800 nm) ranges, and which transmits at least 5% of solar radiation in the range of about 800-20000 nm.
The combination comprising:
- a plant growing in the ground, and
- a woven reflective plant treatment material adjacent the ground proximal to said growing plant, which reflective plant treatment material has a high reflectance of solar radiation in the UV, visible, and NIR ranges, and is woven from a majority of tapes of a plastic material containing at least 10% w/w of a white pigment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.