Mert İzgi, General Manager of pack&net, a local packaging company, talks about the use of extruded plastic netting as a method of protecting saplings from cold in the Farmer’s Voice programme.
pack&net Packaging has been producing plastic extruded net which is widely used all over the world since 2003. In the first years of the company’s establishment; onion garlic, potato nets, safety nets and protection nets used in industrial areas were mostly exported. Extruded plastic nets, which are used to protect seedlings in agriculture outside Turkey, started to become widespread in the domestic market in the late 2010s.
Use of Plastic Net in Agriculture, Forestry and Landscaping
Following the guidance of farmers and producers, the following nets are being produced in agriculture, forestry and landscaping;
The Use of Extruded Plastic Net as a Method of Protecting Saplings from Cold and Other Benefits
- Protects saplings against cold by creating a micro greenhouse effect
- Protects first planted saplings against rodents
- Protection against mechanical spraying in professional agriculture
- Forms a barrier to protect the seedling from weed killer
- Dense pores cut the wind and ensure healthy growth of seedlings
- Prevents unwanted weeds from accumulating on the trunk of the sapling
- Ensures that the sprouting is after the desired length by providing air flow
- After protecting from cold in the first year, it also protects from herbicides.
Sapling protection roll tubes are used as a method of protecting saplings from cold due to their micro greenhouse effect. Thanks to the perforated upper part, it provides air flow and ensures healthy growth of the seedlings and also supports the seedlings to sprout after the desired height.
Saves Labour and Irrigation Costs in the Long Term
Sapling protection nets, which have a history of 25 years all over the world, were preferred to protect saplings from cold, especially in regions with continental climate. It is effective against rodents, protects the seedlings during spraying, supports sprouting at the desired height, etc. As many benefits begin to appear, it is being preferred in regions with hot climates as well as continental climates.
Sapling protection nets and tubes, which are resistant to wear caused by ultraviolet light, can be used for 2.5 – 3 years. According to customer feedback, there are also customers who use the same sapling protection nets and tubes when new saplings are planted after the saplings have grown.
Although the investment cost may seem high at first, it provides significant savings in irrigation costs as it creates a micro greenhouse effect during the period of use. As it provides protection against weeds and pesticides, it saves a great deal of labour costs.
In a real case in a garden in Kalecik, Ankara, a farmer plants nearly 50,000 saplings every year. However, every year 1,500 of the saplings that turn 2 years old fall over and perish due to the gnawing of rabbits. Our farmers cannot find a solution and take the risk of wastage every year until they use pack&net sapling protection net. After using the sapling protection net, the rabbits can grow their saplings without a single waste and make a significant profit by exceeding the investment cost.
