In the booming development of modern agriculture, various advanced mechanical equipment plays an indispensable role, and the blown film machine is one of the most influential members among them. The agricultural films produced by it have created numerous favorable conditions for agricultural production, having a profound impact from increasing crop yields to ensuring the quality of agricultural products. With the continuous progress of agricultural science and technology, the applications of blown film machines in the agricultural field are becoming increasingly diverse and refined. The following will discuss in detail their specific applications in agriculture and the positive significance they bring.
I. Basic Functions of Agricultural Films and Their Association with Blown Film Machines
(I) Ensuring Transparency
Blown film machines can produce agricultural films with good transparency, which is crucial for the photosynthesis of crops. For example, by precisely controlling the blowing film process and using high-quality plastic raw materials, the polyethylene film produced can allow most of the visible light in sunlight to pass through smoothly, ensuring that crops can fully absorb light for photosynthesis, thus synthesizing organic substances and providing energy for growth and development. In vegetable cultivation, for instance, agricultural films with good transparency can enable the leaves of vegetables to receive light better, making the leaves greener and the plants grow more vigorously.
Moreover, blown film machines can further optimize transparency by adjusting the thickness of the film and adding specific additives. For example, in the cultivation of some flowers that require specific light intensity, films with moderate thickness and uniform transparency manufactured by blown film machines can create a suitable light environment for the flowers and improve their quality.
(II) Achieving the Heat Preservation Function
The agricultural films produced by blown film machines have excellent heat preservation performance and play the role of a "temperature regulator" in agricultural production. In cold seasons or in regions with large temperature differences between day and night, when agricultural films are laid on farmland, they can effectively prevent the loss of soil heat and form a relatively warm micro-environment. For example, in the early spring in the northern regions, thick agricultural films produced by blown film machines are used to cover the newly sown farmland, which can make the soil temperature several degrees higher than the outside environment, facilitating seed germination and seedling growth, shortening the growth cycle of crops, enabling them to be marketed earlier, and increasing farmers' income.
Meanwhile, the multi-layer co-extruded films produced by blown film machines can better enhance the heat preservation effect by reasonably combining different plastic materials. For example, materials with good heat preservation performance are used as the inner layer, and wear-resistant and anti-aging materials are added as the outer layer. Such composite films can maintain a good heat preservation state for a long time and safeguard the entire growth stage of crops.
(III) Reflecting the Moisture Retention Function
The agricultural films produced by blown film machines can reduce the evaporation of soil moisture and play a role in moisture retention. After the agricultural films are laid on the surface of farmland, they will form a barrier between the soil and the outside environment, slowing down the speed of moisture dissipation into the air. For example, in the orchard cultivation in arid areas, after laying agricultural films, the soil moisture can be well retained, and the roots of fruit trees can continuously absorb sufficient moisture to maintain normal growth and fruit development, reducing the frequency of irrigation and improving the utilization efficiency of water resources.
Moreover, some special-process agricultural films, such as those with added moisture-retaining agents, can have a more lasting moisture retention effect through the fine processing of blown film machines, further ensuring the moisture conditions required for crop growth.
II. Applications in the Cultivation of Different Types of Crops
(I) Vegetable Cultivation
In vegetable cultivation, the films produced by blown film machines are widely used. For example, in the cultivation of leafy vegetables such as pakchoi and lettuce, using agricultural films with good transparency and relatively thin thickness for mulching can enable early sowing in the early spring, accelerate the growth rate of vegetables, enable the vegetables to be marketed as early as possible to meet the market demand, and also increase the number of cultivation batches, improve land utilization efficiency and economic benefits.
For fruit vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers, agricultural films not only provide a warm and humid environment but also play a certain role in preventing diseases and pests to some extent. By using films with insect-proof functions produced by blown film machines (through special treatments such as adding insecticides), the damage of pests to vegetable plants can be reduced, the use of pesticides can be decreased, and the quality and safety of vegetables can be ensured, thus producing green and pollution-free vegetable products.
(II) Fruit Cultivation
In fruit cultivation, the films produced by blown film machines also play an important role. For example, in strawberry cultivation, in winter, by using the method of covering the greenhouse with agricultural films, with the help of the heat preservation and moisture retention effects of agricultural films, strawberries can still grow, bloom and bear fruit normally in the cold season. Moreover, by adjusting the transparency of the films, the growth rhythm of strawberries can also be controlled. For example, in the fruit ripening stage, appropriately increasing the light intensity can help strawberry fruits color better, improving the appearance quality and taste of the fruits.
In grape cultivation, agricultural films can be used to build rain shelters. The high-strength and anti-aging films produced by blown film machines can effectively block the impact of rain on grape fruits and branches and leaves, reduce the occurrence of diseases, and at the same time adjust the microclimate of the vineyard, which is beneficial to the sugar accumulation and quality improvement of grapes, so that both the yield and quality of grapes can be significantly improved.
(III) Grain Crop Cultivation
For grain crops, such as in the seedling raising of rice, using the special seedling raising films produced by blown film machines can create a warm, humid and relatively stable growth environment for the seedlings, improving the survival rate and quality of the seedlings. In the spring sowing of corn in the northern regions, covering the farmland with agricultural films can increase the temperature and preserve soil moisture, promote the germination of corn seeds and the growth of seedlings, enhance the stress resistance of corn plants, and finally increase the yield of corn.
Moreover, in the cultivation of grain crops such as wheat in some arid areas, the mulching of agricultural films can reduce the evaporation of soil moisture, improve the utilization efficiency of water resources, and ensure that grain crops can grow normally in a relatively water-deficient environment, playing a positive role in ensuring food security.
III. Applications in Agricultural Facility Construction
(I) Greenhouse Construction
The agricultural films produced by blown film machines are the key covering materials for greenhouses. The large-area and high-strength films produced by blown film machines can completely cover the framework of greenhouses, constructing a relatively closed space suitable for the growth of crops. For example, in modern multi-span greenhouses, using high-quality agricultural films, combined with advanced ventilation, irrigation and other facilities, can achieve precise control of environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and light in the greenhouses, making it possible for the off-season cultivation of various crops and greatly enriching the types and supply time of agricultural products.
Meanwhile, the continuously improved technology of blown film machines has enhanced the durability of agricultural films, enabling them to withstand long-term wind and sun exposure, reducing the frequency of film replacement in greenhouses, lowering the maintenance cost of agricultural facilities and improving the economic benefits of agricultural production.
(II) Plastic Film Mulching Application
In the plastic film mulching technology, the plastic films produced by blown film machines play an important role. Plastic films laid on the surface of farmland soil can effectively suppress the growth of weeds because the films block sunlight, making it difficult for weeds to carry out photosynthesis, thus reducing the situation where weeds compete with crops for nutrients, moisture and sunlight. For example, in cotton cultivation, using black plastic films for mulching can not only play a role in weeding but also increase the soil temperature, promote the early growth and early maturity of cotton, and improve the yield and quality of cotton.
Moreover, blown film machines can produce plastic films of different colors and thicknesses to meet the needs of different crops and different planting environments. For example, white plastic films have good transparency and are mostly used for light-loving crops; while silver plastic films have a reflective effect, and in some fruit tree cultivation, they can increase the light on the lower branches and leaves of fruit trees by reflecting sunlight, promoting the uniform coloring and development of fruits.
IV. Contributing to the Sustainable Development of Agriculture
(I) Reducing Resource Waste
The high-quality agricultural films produced by blown film machines help to reduce the waste of irrigation water. Through their good moisture retention performance, the moisture in the soil can be retained for a longer time, reducing the necessity of frequent irrigation and improving the utilization efficiency of water resources. Meanwhile, their excellent performance in heat preservation also makes the growth cycle of crops more reasonable, reducing the situation of crop yield reduction caused by poor growth environment, and avoiding the waste of land, seeds, fertilizers and other resources.
Moreover, with the continuous progress of the technology of blown film machines, the durability of films has been improved and their service life has been extended, reducing the frequency of film replacement and the consumption of film materials, thus saving resources from the source.
(II) Promoting the Development of Green Agriculture
Using the environmentally friendly agricultural films produced by blown film machines, such as degradable films, can gradually decompose in the natural environment after fulfilling their functions, and will not cause long-term "white pollution" like traditional plastic films. For example, agricultural films made of degradable materials such as polylactic acid (PLA) will be decomposed into harmless substances by microorganisms in the soil after a certain period of time, meeting the requirements of green agriculture and sustainable development.
Meanwhile, by producing films with functions such as insect prevention and disease prevention through blown film machines, the use of chemical pesticides can be reduced, the pollution of pesticide residues to soil, water bodies and agricultural products can be decreased, and the quality and safety of agricultural products can be ensured, which helps to promote the development of agriculture in a green, ecological and sustainable direction.
In conclusion, the applications of blown film machines in the agricultural field are extremely extensive and significant. By producing various agricultural films with excellent properties, they create favorable conditions for crop growth, contribute to agricultural facility construction and promote the sustainable development of agriculture. They play a decisive role in the development process of modern agriculture and will surely continue to contribute to the high-quality development of agriculture with the progress of science and technology in the future.
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