TIF™: Totally Impermeable Film - Agriculture

The use of fumigant gases in agriculture helps produce high quality vegetables, fruit and flowers. Â Held in place with plastic sheeting, they sterilise the soil - eliminating pests like nematodes, bacteria, fungi and weeks - boosting yields. Â However, using standard plastic sheeting lets some gas escape into the environment, often with unwelcome side effects. Methyl bromide was a commonly used fumigant, but is an ozone depleting gas, and the Montreal Protocol of 1997 started the search for cost-effective alternatives. Â Many are less harmful for the ozone, yet may cause acute and chronic health risks to field workers and nearby communities. Changing the fumigant gas is not enough; to be both effective and safe, the entire fumigation process must be made as efficient as possible. Adding an EVALâ„¢ barrier layer to fumigant films sharply improves gas retention, blocking permeation to keep fumigants in the soil. Â The improvement is so dramatic compared to other films, that the EVALâ