Packaging for Plants, Fruit or Vegetables

Abstract

This invention relates to packaging for the transportation and/or storage of plants or plant material such as nutritional items including fruit, berries or vegetables. It comprises an assembly for the transportation and/or storage of plants or plant material, comprising an upwardly open, rigid base member, and a retention net adapted to fit over the base member, and methods for its use.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An assembly for the transportation and/or storage of plants or plant material, which assembly comprises
 an upwardly open, rigid base member, and   a retention net adapted to fit over the base member,   
       wherein the retention net is formed from a unitary piece of mesh fabric that is square or rectangular in its pre-assembled state and has one pair of opposite sides that are elasticated, the juxtaposed ends of said elasticated sides and the respective intervening non-elasticated side being gathered together to form cinch points at each end of the fabric, thereby forming a net having an elasticated perimeter. 
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the unitary piece of mesh fabric is a knitted fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh fabric can be stretched under tension to at least 200% of its original size, and returns to its original size on removal of the tension. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh fabric has a plurality of apertures, and wherein the aperture size when the mesh fabric is in the relaxed state is from about 0.375 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the aperture size when the mesh fabric is in the relaxed state is from about 1 mm to 3 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh fabric has a plurality of apertures, and wherein the aperture size when the mesh fabric is in the extended state is from about 0.75 mm to 25 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the aperture size when the mesh fabric is in the extended state is from about 3 mm to 10 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one or more elasticated lines extend longitudinally across the retention net. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the retention net is supplied as a chain of connected retention nets from which individual nets can be separated as required. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh fabric comprises a synthetic yarn. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh fabric comprises a polypropylene yarn. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh fabric comprises a yarn of a thickness less than or equal to 100 denier. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh fabric comprises a yarn of a thickness of from 10 to 50 denier. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mesh fabric is coated with a light reflecting substance. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein one or more elastic yarns are incorporated into the knitted structure of the mesh fabric, to form the elasticated edges. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the elasticated edges of the retention net comprise a reinforcing region. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the reinforcing region is a band of denser material formed integrally with the mesh fabric. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the reinforcing region is from 0.5 to 2 cm wide. 
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the retention net further comprises one or more additives selected from plant feeds, pesticides, insect repellents and non-insecticidal protective agents. 
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base member has upstanding sides, and an outwardly extending lip. 
     
     
         21 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base member has upstanding sides and a plurality of attachment members, at least one attachment member being located on each of at least one pair of opposing sides of the base member, the attachment members being engageable with the retention net. 
     
     
         22 . The assembly of  claim 21 , in which the attachment members are in the form of protrusions extending from the periphery of the base member. 
     
     
         23 . The assembly of  claim 21 , in which the attachment members engage with the retention net by inserting a portion of an attachment member through an aperture in the retention net. 
     
     
         24 . The assembly of  claim 23 , wherein the elasticated edges of the retention net comprise a reinforcing region, and wherein the reinforcing region comprises at least one aperture, the at least one aperture being suitable to receive at least a portion of an attachment member. 
     
     
         25 . The assembly of  claim 21 , in which the attachment members are located at least 2 cm away from a corner of the base member. 
     
     
         26 . A tray for the transportation and/or storage of plants or plant material, the tray comprising an upwardly open, rigid base member, the base member having upstanding sides and a plurality of attachment members, at least one attachment member being located on each of at least one pair of opposing sides of the base member, the attachment members being engageable with a mesh fabric. 
     
     
         27 . The tray of  claim 26 , in which the attachment members are in the form of protrusions extending from the periphery of the base member. 
     
     
         28 . The tray of  claim 26 , in which the attachment members engage with a mesh fabric by inserting a portion of an attachment member through an aperture in the mesh fabric. 
     
     
         29 . The tray of  claim 26 , in which the attachment members are located at least 2 cm away from a corner of the base member. 
     
     
         30 . The tray of  claim 26 , wherein the attachment members are engageable with a retention net, the retention net being adapted to fit over the base member, and wherein the retention net is formed from a unitary piece of mesh fabric that is square or rectangular in its pre-assembled state and has one pair of opposite sides that are elasticated, the juxtaposed ends of said elasticated sides and the respective intervening non-elasticated side being gathered together to form cinch points at each end of the fabric, thereby forming a net having an elasticated perimeter. 
     
     
         31 . A method of packaging plants and/or plant material for transportation and/or storage which method comprises
 (a) providing an upwardly open, rigid base member;   (b) loading the plants and/or plant material into the base member; and   (c) fitting a retention net over the base member;   wherein the retention net is formed from a unitary piece of mesh fabric that is square or rectangular in its pre-assembled state and has one pair of opposite sides that are elasticated, the juxtaposed ends of said elasticated sides and the respective intervening non-elasticated side being gathered together to form cinch points at each end of the fabric, thereby forming a net having an elasticated perimeter.