Instead of insecticides, farmers sometimes find plants with a fine mesh cloth. With all cover materials, the size of the gaps in the set determines the size of the harmful substances that it can contain. Unfortunately, a huge number of dangerous cases pass through such openings. But if you make the gaps too small, then the plants will not have enough air, sowil water
Looking for larger alternatives, North Carolina State University has developed a new material that covers a wide range of insects but allows crops to receive adequate light and water. “Plant Armor” consists of three knitted layers. The outer and inner came from a transparent transparent transparent transparent thread. Between them there is another knitted layer, fibers that pass through the cross fiber of the two layers. The idea is that even if the insects are small enough to pass through the gaps in the material, its complex maze-like structure will make it difficult for them to navigate the entire path.
In the first test, two groups of 10 tobacco thrips were placed in a Petri dish with cabbage leaves, the first of which was protected by “Plant Armor” and the second with a conventional cover device. Insects took 3 hours to overcome “Plant Armor”, while they usually took 12 minutes In another test, cabbage seedlings covered with “plant shell” or protected by nothing were placed in cages with hungry caterpillars. caterpillars were not found in protected seedlings. Finally, in field studies, after 3 months of increased incidence of protective tissue, heads were on average three times larger and heavier than uncovered ones.
A sufficient amount of air and light passes through the Plant Armor. In addition, the protective fabric is recyclable and can materials.
Source: Tech Cult
