The present invention relates to a single-layer or multilayer coated polyester film having a transparency of at least 92%, with the polyester film having a first surface and a second surface, in which a permanent anti-fog coating has been applied to at least one of the surfaces of the polyester film and the anti-fog coating includes at least one water-soluble polymer, an inorganic, hydrophilic material and a crosslinker. The water-soluble polymer is a polyvinyl alcohol or a hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol copolymer. Furthermore, the present invention relates to production processes for the coated polyester film and to energy saving mats in greenhouses produced therefrom.

There is discussed a method of picking and placing bulbs, in which bulbs are supplied on a supply surface of a bulbs supply system; the bulbs being identified and picked from the supply surface with a pick-and-place head; wherein picked bulbs are transferred from the pick-and-place head, shoot-first and roots-last to a transfer-receptacle comprising at least one bulb-receptor, wherein the bulb-receptor temporarily clutches said bulb.

A soil-covering film (10), which contains an air and moisture-permeable sheet, preferably a nonwoven sheet, containing biodegradable and/or compostable fibre (12) and, optionally, binding material (14), where the binding force between the fibres reversibly weakens due to the effect of moisture. The soil-covering film (10) may be used by, for example, laying out the soil-covering film (10) on surface of the soil (40); then the seeds (22) of the crop (20) are placed on the soil-covering film (10); the soil-covering film (10) is kept moist until the seeds (22) located on the surface grow roots (24) and the roots (24) penetrate the soil-covering film (10).

Described herein is a pillar knitted crop netting comprising widely spaced knitted pillars and crop netting materials comprising a region(s) having such construction. Also described herein are crop nettings comprising yarns defining apertures to form the netting wherein said apertures have a plurality of sides formed by yarn sections and at least one of those yarn sections may be relatively slack when the netting is held taut in lengthwise and widthwise directions. The above nettings may have advantageous hail passage performance.

The agricultural greenhouse of the invention and the plant cultivation method using the same can cultivate plants economically and efficiently with less energy per crop yield, as it is provided with a CO.sub.2 supply means, a heat-ray shielding means, and a dehumidification and cooling means, the heat-ray shielding means is formed of using a heat-ray reflecting film, and plural through holes are formed in the heat-ray shielding means. The heat-ray reflecting film structure can cultivate plants by the agricultural greenhouse utilizing sunlight economically and efficiently as it has a structure that narrow band-shaped tapes obtained by cutting a multi-layer laminated film made by laminating at least two kinds of resin layers with different refractive indices alternately and having an average transmittance at 80% or more for visible light and an average reflectance at 70% or more for heat-ray is woven or knitted as a warp or a weft.

A system is provided to discharge heat from a reservoir of water inside an unventilated greenhouse. Heat is transferred from the greenhouse air to the reservoir during the day by a droplet system. During the cool hours of the night and morning, the same droplet system transfers reservoir heat back into the air within a restricted volume above the reservoir while the air is simultaneously circulated through an air-to-air heat exchanger outside the building.

The invention discloses a regulating system and method for multilayer shading film of plastic greenhouse with adjustable shading rate. The upper film of the sunshade is a fully transparent film, while the middle film and the lower film are printed with dots, which are interlaced. Through the measurement and comparison of the warm light in the greenhouse, the combined control of the sunshade film is realized. Not only can it adjust its light blocking rate, but it also has a heat insulating effect when there is a certain amount of air in the film.

The present disclosure provides a film for enhancing the growth of plants in the Cannabaceae family, the film being capable of blocking solar spectrum in the range 430-550 nm. The present disclosure also provides a single- or multi-layer plastic greenhouse film for enhancing cannabis plant growth, where the single- or multi-layer plastic greenhouse film (a) has at least one blue light blocking layer for blocking solar spectrum in the range of 430-500 nm; (b) has a high transmittance for red light in the solar spectrum in the range of 600-750 nm.

A multi-source ground-to-air heat transfer system is configured to store thermal energy during a cooling/dehumidifcation mode of operation for future use during a heating mode of operation. The multi-source ground-to-air heat transfer system utilizes a ground loop that is configured under an enclosure, such as a greenhouse, and is in thermal communication with a thermal reservoir medium to conduct and store heat. A thermal exchange fluid is pumped through the ground loop and ground heat exchanger and may receive heat from a condenser during a cooling/dehumidification mode of operation and may liberate heat to the evaporator during a heating mode. The enclosure air may receive heat from the heat pump during a heating mode and may liberate heat to the evaporator during a cooling/dehumidification mode. The heat exchange system may employ a heat pump having a reversing valve to change the mode of operation.

A film for covering agricultural structures, including: a) a polymeric film having one or more layers, wherein at least one of the layers includes one or more UV stabilisers; and b) a coating on at least one outer surface of the polymeric film, the coating including at least one layer containing a polymer, such that the film has an oxygen permeability below 500 ml/m.sup.2/bar/day at 23° C. and 0% relative humidity, as measured according to EN ISO 15105-2.