In modern facility agriculture, the covering materials of the greenhouse directly affect crop growth, energy consumption costs and the service life of the greenhouse. At present, glass greenhouses, polycarbonate board greenhouses and plastic film greenhouses are the three most common greenhouse covering materials on the market. They each have their own advantages, but also have certain limitations. How to choose the most suitable material is a problem that greenhouse builders and growers must consider.
1. Glass greenhouse: high light transmittance and high durability, cost and energy consumption become a problem
Glass greenhouses have become the first choice for many high-end agricultural facilities due to their superior light transmittance (up to more than 90%). Glass materials are highly durable, with a service life of more than 20 years, Glass greenhouses are not easy to age, and can withstand bad weather. However, the construction cost of glass greenhouses is high, and the self-weight is large,Glass greenhouses requiring a more sturdy frame structure to support. In addition, the thermal insulation performance of glass greenhouses is relatively poor, and additional thermal insulation measures may be required in cold areas, thereby increasing energy consumption.
2. Polycarbonate greenhouse: both strength and insulation, but slightly inferior light transmittance
Polycarbonate is a plastic material with high transparency, and polycarbonate greenhouse light transmittance is usually between 75% and 85%. The biggest advantage of polycarbonate greenhouse is its high strength and good impact resistance, polycarbonate greenhouse can effectively resist extreme weather such as hail and strong winds. In addition, the thermal insulation performance of polycarbonate greenhouse is better than that of glass, which helps to reduce winter heating energy consumption. However, polycarbonate greenhouse is prone to aging and yellowing problems during long-term use, and the light transmittance will decrease, affecting the photosynthesis of plants. In addition, its cost is higher than that of plastic film greenhouse. Although it is cheaper than glass greenhouse, it is still a medium-to-high cost material.
3. Plastic film greenhouse: economical and efficient, durability and maintenance are the key
Plastic film is widely used in the construction of modern agricultural plastic film greenhouses due to its low cost, easy installation and good light transmittance. PE (polyethylene) and EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer) are common plastic film greenhouse materials, among which EVA film has better thermal insulation and anti-aging properties. Although the light transmittance of plastic film can reach 80%-90%, its service life is usually only 3-5 years and needs to be replaced regularly. In addition, plastic film greenhouses are susceptible to wind disasters and physical damage, and maintenance work is more, so for long-term plastic film greenhouses, subsequent investment cannot be ignored.
4. Different crops have different choices. How do greenhouse covering materials match planting needs?
Different types of crops have different requirements for greenhouse environments, so the choice of covering materials also needs to be adapted to local conditions. For example, leafy vegetables, strawberries, etc. have high light requirements, and glass greenhouses can provide sufficient light; fruit and vegetable crops such as tomatoes and cucumbers have high temperature management requirements, and polycarbonate greenhouses are ideal choices due to their good thermal insulation; and short-cycle, high-density planting crops, such as lettuce and coriander, use plastic film greenhouses. More economic benefits. Therefore, when choosing covering materials, growers should comprehensively consider crop characteristics, climatic conditions and economic investment.
5. Energy saving and cost game, what is the future development trend of greenhouse covering materials?
With the advancement of agricultural technology, the research and development of greenhouse covering materials is also developing. Innovative materials such as new double-layer insulating glass, intelligent dimming film, and multi-layer composite polycarbonate panels are improving the energy efficiency ratio of greenhouses while reducing energy consumption. In the future, lightweight, high-insulation, and dimmable materials may become mainstream to meet the sustainable development needs of modern agriculture. In addition, with the development of intelligent greenhouse technology, factors such as light regulation and temperature control will be deeply combined with the performance of covering materials to provide more precise environmental management solutions for agricultural production.
In greenhouse construction, it is crucial to choose the right covering material. Whether it is a glass greenhouse, a polycarbonate greenhouse, or a plastic film greenhouse, it needs to be weighed according to planting goals, climatic conditions, and economic budgets. In the future, with the advancement of materials science, greenhouse covering materials will be more intelligent and efficient, bringing broader development space for agricultural production.
