Plant treatment material

Abstract

Described is a reflective ground cover sheet material ( 1 ) in which longitudinally extending opposite side margins (A) of the sheet material are stronger than a longitudinally extending centre section between the side margins of the material. Also described is a reflective ground cover sheet material ( 1 ) having longitudinally extending opposite side margins (A) of the sheet material of lower porosity than a longitudinally extending centre section between the side margins of the material.

1 . A reflective woven which is longer than it is wide and which is woven from warp and weft tapes at least some of which are spaced apart from each other so that at least a longitudinally extending center section of the material has a porosity comprising holes or apertures through the material between spaced apart warp and weft tapes of at least 2%, and wherein at least said longitudinally extending center section of the material is reflective of at least 50% of visible solar light on at least one side of the sheet material. 
     
     
         2 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  having a porosity comprising holes or apertures through the material between spaced apart warp and weft tapes of 2 to 15%. 
     
     
         3 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  having a porosity comprising holes or apertures through the material between spaced apart warp and weft tapes of 4 to 12%. 
     
     
         4 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  having a porosity comprising holes or apertures through the material between spaced apart warp and weft tapes of 5 to 10%. 
     
     
         5 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  having a porosity comprising holes or apertures through the material between spaced apart warp and weft tapes of 6 to 8%. 
     
     
         6 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material according to  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins of the sheet material one on either side of said longitudinally extending section of the material, said longitudinally extending side margins being stronger than said longitudinally extending center section of the material, and wherein said longitudinally extending center section of the material is wider transversely across the sheet material than said side margins of the material. 
     
     
         7 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material according to  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins of the sheet material one on either side of said longitudinally extending section of the material, said longitudinally extending side margins being of lower porosity comprising holes or apertures through the material between spaced apart warp and weft tapes, than said longitudinally extending center section of the material, and wherein said longitudinally extending center section of the material is wider transversely across the sheet material than said side margins of the material. 
     
     
         8 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material according to  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins of the sheet material one on either side of said longitudinally extending section of the material, said longitudinally extending side margins being woven with a tighter or denser weave than said longitudinally extending center section of the material, and wherein said longitudinally extending center section of the material is wider transversely across the sheet material than said side margins of the material. 
     
     
         9 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material woven according to  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins of the sheet material one on either side of said longitudinally extending center section of the material and in which a width of warp tapes is reduced in said side margins of the material relative to the width of the warp tapes in said longitudinally extending center section of the material, and wherein said longitudinally extending center section of the material is wider transversely across the sheet material than said margins of the material. 
     
     
         10 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material according to  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins of the sheet material one on either side of said longitudinally extending section of the material and in which a thickness of the warp tapes is greater in said longitudinally extending side margins of the material relative to a thickness of the warp tapes in said longitudinally extending center section of the material, and wherein said longitudinally extending center section of the material is wider transversely across the sheet material than said margins of the material. 
     
     
         11 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 6  in which said side margins extend up to about 300 mm in from either side edge of the material. 
     
     
         12 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins of the sheet material one on either side of said longitudinally extending section of the material and in which the warp tapes in the side margins have a width between about 1 and about 3 mm and the warp tapes in said longitudinally extending center section of the material have a width between about 3 and about 5 mm. 
     
     
         13 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  in which at least in said longitudinally extending center section of the material the warp and weft tapes have not been folded or twisted during weaving or have been folded or twisted minimally, so that there is not more than one fold or twist per 10 m 2  surface area of said longitudinally extending center section of the material. 
     
     
         14 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the warp and weft tapes are substantially flat. 
     
     
         15 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  woven from warp tapes and weft tapes of a plastics material. 
     
     
         16 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins one on either side of said longitudinally extending center section of the material and in which a transition between an inner edge of each said side margin and said center section of the material is marked by a line or other marking of contrasting color. 
     
     
         17 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins one each on either side of said longitudinally extending center section of the material between the side margins and woven from warp tapes and weft tapes and in which the color of all the warp tapes in the side margins contrasts to that of the balance of the sheet material. 
     
     
         18 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material according to  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins of the sheet material one on either side of said longitudinally center section of the material and in which the chemical composition of warp tapes in said side margins of the material is different than that of warp tapes in said longitudinally extending center section of the material to strengthen said side margins of the material or to increase the resistance of said side margins of the material to strength degradation from exposure to the external environment or aging, relative to said center section of the material. 
     
     
         19 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material according to  claim 1  having longitudinally extending opposite side margins of the sheet material one on either side of said longitudinally extending center section of the material and in which said longitudinally extending opposite side margins of the material have had applied thereto one or more agents to strengthen said side margins of the material or to increase the resistance of said side margins of the material to strength degradation from exposure to the external environment or aging, relative to said center section of the material. 
     
     
         20 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 19  in which said one or more agents has been sprayed or otherwise overcoated onto said warp and weft tapes in said side margins of the material. 
     
     
         21 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said one or more agents comprises one or more of polyproylene, polyester, polyethylene, a polyvinyl acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, styrene-acrylonitrile, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethylmethacrylate, polycarbonate, and ethylene alpha-olefin. 
     
     
         22 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 20  wherein said one or more agents include at least one light or heat stabilizer. 
     
     
         23 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material according to  claim 1  wherein at least said longitudinally center section of the material is colored white. 
     
     
         24 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 7  in which said side margins extend up to about 300 mm in from either side edge of the material. 
     
     
         25 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 8  in which said side margins extend up to about 300 mm in from either side edge of the material. 
     
     
         26 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 9  in which said side margins extend up to about 300 mm in from either side edge of the material. 
     
     
         27 . A reflective woven ground cover sheet material as claimed in  claim 10  in which said side margins extend up to about 300 mm in from either side edge of the material.