Shading paints designed to offer reliability
Machine application
Each of these tried and tested products has its own characteristic features and each has been developed for a specific purpose and climate. All are suitable for greenhouses and tunnels, glass, plastics and polycarbonates and can be removed with the same cleaner: Topclear.
Eclipse LD: Heat and light reduction
The white shading paint Eclipse LD, from the Eclipse range, is a long duration product and is popular in export markets. This paint protects plants from excessive light and heat; the level of the shading depends on the dilution of the product. It is the reliability and versatility of the product that growers value, whether they have a glass, plastic or polycarbonate greenhouse. Eclipse LD can be applied to all of them, in various dilutions and by all methods of application. In countries that experience more rain, for example in northwest Europe or Canada, growers are concerned about premature deterioration of shading products; Eclipse LD is a long lasting paint yet it can be removed at any moment with the specially developed cleaner, Topclear.
“Growers who apply Eclipse LD can decide for themselves when to remove it. It gives them more certainty. They can remove it in one go with Topclear which we can assure growers is very reliable,” says Sudlac’s export manager Jorien Plak-Schouten.
TransPAR: Heat reduction, high light transmission
TransPAR is a more transparent shading paint that reflects heat (Near Infrared Radiation) yet still allows most of the PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) light to enter the greenhouse.
“It provides 15-30% reduction in heat but the plant still receives lots of light. Protecting the plants from the heat without losing valuable grow-light (PAR) enables better crop growth,” says Jorien. "TransPAR is very popular, for example, in areas where the light level can be limited but a reduction of temperature is required. Using a white shading paint in these areas results in a loss of too much precious light. With TransPAR you can, generally speaking, obtain the same temperature reduction as with a white wash, but experience far more light."
Optifuse IR: Diffuse light, slight heat reduction
It is well documented that diffuse light leads to better production because the light distribution within the crop is more uniform and there are no shadows or sun spots. Sudlac therefore developed Optifuse IR. This is not a shading product but instead it makes the light diffuse and offers some heat reduction.
“Diffuse light by itself will help the plant to grow better but a reduction in temperature helps even further. Optifuse IR results in very high light transmission with just 3% loss of perpendicular light, reasonable heat reduction and 86% light diffusion. This combination of properties is unique, which makes the product suitable for plants that require a lot of light but which also benefit from a reduction in temperature, such as sweet peppers and many ornamental crops,” she says.
Topclear: Cleaner
Complementing the shading paints is Topclear, a cleaner, specially formulated to remove the Sudlac range of products. It should be applied to the greenhouse shortly before rain is predicted. Then the paints will wash away in the rain without the need for brushing or scrubbing. It too offers growers a reliable means of regulating the amount of light and heat entering the greenhouse and is a valued part of the Sudlac range.
Eclipse F4
Next to the long duration shading paints and cleaner, Sudlac offers a product that has been in the range for a long time: Eclipse F4. This is a shading paint that reduces both heat and light in the greenhouse. Its key characteristic is its gradual deterioration over the course of the summer by the sun and rain. It doesn’t need to be removed with a cleaning agent which makes it economical to use.
“Sudlac has specialized in this because it’s not that easy to create a product that doesn’t wear away too quickly and yet will last the season,” says Jorien. It is called Eclipse F4: F for France, from where the company originates; and 4 for four months, the length of time it is expected to last. It is particularly suitable for countries, such as those in southern Europe, where it doesn’t rain too much. It protects the plants from too much light and heat; the level of shading depends on the dilution of the product.
“This is a great product for many countries, but growers need to keep in mind that nothing is as unpredictable as the weather,” says Jorien.
For more information:
Sudlac
Jorien Schouten
export@sudlac.com
www.sudlac.com