How to choose a shade net is a question farmers ask us when procuring shade netting for vegetables, fruit trees fencing and for covering fish ponds
Shade nets are HDPE, UV treated woven or knitted netting material that regulate the amount of light and heat from the sun, air and moisture. Shade nets reduce the temperature delta (difference between day and night temperatures), thereby avoiding a sudden temperature variation, so that plants don’t suffer from thermal shock A good degree of beneficial moisture is trapped between the ground and the net. They are water permeable so that rain water, and irrigation water will reach the crop and keep it hydrated
Shade net percentages indicate the amount of shade provided by the different types of agricultural nets. How to choose a shade net for farming is key for crop performance. In this write up we also answer other questions asked by farmers who buy shade nets for agriculture
Before learning how to choose a shade net, a grower must understand the types of shade nets available, and how shade nets work
Grekkon Limited’s shade nets are all knitted with monofilament fabric which is durable due to he thicker thread. A thicker thread has a longer process of photo oxidation as compared to a thinner thread, hence the longer lifespan
The light filtration rate is provided as a percentage of the shade provided by the net. A 30% shade net indicates that 70% of the light goes through, therefore the shading effect is 30%
The color choice does not affect the performance for these two. Both allow all light wavelengths go through. However, brightly colored shade nets like white and aluminum reflect the sun’s heat creating a cooling effect
They absorb or reflect the sun’s heat. They act as filters by depriving the plants of excess sunlight
Some crops perform better under full solar exposure, and others under shade. A farmer must understand if or not the crop will bear well under shade. Ample sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis, the process by which plants make food
Tender plants in the nursery are best shaded by 90% or 75% shad nets. It is important to understand how much does a shade net reduce the temperature in nurseries. 50% to 30% is for the hardening stage
Farmers in warmer low lands work with 90% and 75% most of the time. Farmers in the cooler highlands prefer 75% to 30%.
A 90% shade net is more expensive than a 75% one, and so on. The more shading you get, the more you pay for it. Shade net prices in Kenya by Grekkon Limited are;
1. 30% nets. Kes 65/ M square
2. 55% nets. Kes 80/ M square
3. 75% nets. Kes 110/M square
4. 90% nets. Kes 170/M square
When you buy a shade net, volume discounts apply.
Yes it does, but the droplets are slower and lesser in size
As explained in 1 -5 above
Yes you will
This is build by setting up a wooden or steel frame structure, then covering it on top and sides with a shade net
A greenhouse allows all light through. A shade net keeps off a certain amount of light
Yes. it must not interfere with the plant’s growth
Yes, a shade net is also a windbreaker in windy farms
Yes it does.
Grekkon Limited is the largest supplier of low cost solar dryers for agricultural products in…
A Step by step procedure on how to install dam liners: To learn how to…
Grekkon Limited supplies the best gauges of UV-treated agricultural HDPE pipes for sale in Kenya,…
The story of an irrigation company in Nyeri began in 2017, when two Kenyan agri-prenuers…
Strawberry irrigation farming in Kenya by Grekkon Limited is by the installation of strawberry drip…
Tree tomato or tamarillo irrigation in Kenya is by button drippers, or rain gun sprinklers,…