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How to Choose the Right Agricultural Plastic Film for Your Farm

2026-04-29
How to Choose Agricultural Plastic Film | Infunplastic
Selection Guide · 2026

How to choose agricultural plastic film
by the job, not the price.

Greenhouse, tunnel, mulch, silage — each film is engineered for a different job. Start with the job, then narrow by material, thickness and climate.

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30+
Years manufacturing
60+
Countries served
5-layer
Co-extrusion tech
1000kg
Minimum order
Tested & certified
ISO 9001
SGS tested
EN 17033
RoHS
Step 1

Know the film family

If you are covering a structure, you want greenhouse or tunnel film. If you are laying it on the ground, you want mulch. They are not interchangeable.

Greenhouse film

Covers the whole structure

JobLight, heat, humidity
Typical thickness120–200 mic
Best forWalk-in & commercial houses
Tunnel / low tunnel

Row covers & nurseries

JobFrost protection, season extension
Typical thickness80–150 mic
Best forHoops, early transplants
Mulch film

Ground cover

JobWarm soil, block weeds
Typical thickness15–50 mic
Best forOpen-field beds
Silage / bale wrap

Forage preservation

JobSeal silage from oxygen
Typical thickness25–150 mic
Best forNot a crop-growth film
Step 2

Material options

Both are polyolefins. The difference is in clarity, service life and price — not in whether they “work”.

PE · Polyethylene

The workhorse

Relative costLower
Light transmission88–91%
Best forMost greenhouse, tunnel, mulch
PO / EVA blend

Premium cover

Relative costHigher
Light transmission91–93%
Best forHigh-value crops, long life
Biodegradable

PBAT / PLA mulch

ComplianceEN 17033
End of lifeComposts in soil
Best forWhere removal is costly

Default to PE

Most buyers get the best price/performance from virgin-resin multi-layer PE.

Step up to PO

When light quality and a longer service life beat the upfront premium — flowers, nurseries.

Consider biodegradable

Where labour or regulation makes film recovery expensive — mulch only.

Step 3

Match film to crop

Thickness and light spec follow the crop. Use this as a starting point, then tune to your climate.

CROP → FILM
Typical recommendations by crop group
Quick reference
Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach)150 mic PE · anti-drip
Fruiting veg (tomato, pepper)PO or 180 mic PE · high diffusion
Flowers / ornamentalsPO · clarity & colour uniformity
Strawberry / berryBlack or black-silver mulch 25–30 mic
Open-field vegetablesBlack mulch 20–30 mic / biodegradable

Recommendations assume standard seasonal production. Tell us your crop and climate and we’ll tune the formula and send a lot-specific COA.

Step 4

Match film to climate

Same crop, different continent — different spec. Get the climate fit right before you order.

Tropical / high UV

High UV, heavy humidity. Anti-drip is non-negotiable; go thicker to survive storms.

180–200 mic · strong UV · anti-drip

Temperate

Four seasons, cooler nights. IR thermal pays for itself in heating savings.

150 mic · IR thermal · anti-fog

Arid / dusty

Intense sun and dust. Max UV loading and anti-dust keep light transmission up.

200 mic · max UV · anti-dust

High-altitude

Sharp day–night swings. IR thermal plus anti-drip manage the temperature range.

150–180 mic · IR · anti-drip
Step 5

Decision checklist

Run this before you ask for a quote. It turns a vague “send me film” into a spec a factory can actually build.

  • What is the film covering? Structure → greenhouse/tunnel; ground → mulch.
  • What crop? Match thickness and light spec from the crop table above.
  • What climate? Set UV and IR requirements accordingly.
  • What is the replacement cycle? Longer life (PO) if labour is expensive.
  • Width needed? Confirm before ordering; custom widths avoid waste.
  • Certifications required? SGS for quality; EN 17033 for biodegradable mulch.
Questions

Frequently asked

Greenhouse film covers a structure and manages light, heat, and humidity (120–200 mic). Mulch film is laid on soil to warm it and block weeds (15–50 mic). They are engineered for different jobs and are not interchangeable.

For protected vegetables, 150–180 mic PE (or PO for high-value crops) greenhouse film with anti-drip. For open-field beds, black or biodegradable mulch film at 20–30 mic.

No. Thicker costs more and slightly reduces light. Match thickness to structure and climate — 150 mic is plenty for a standard temperate house; 200 mic suits harsh UV/wind regions.

PE film is recyclable where collection exists; biodegradable mulch (PBAT/PLA) composts in soil per EN 17033. Conventional PE mulch left in field is an environmental liability.

Measure the structure or bed span and add for fixing. Factory-direct suppliers offer custom widths (commonly 4–20 m), which avoids seaming and waste.

PE is the safe, cost-effective start. Move to PO when crop value or climate justifies the longer life and better light diffusion.

“We ran the checklist before reordering and switched from blanket mulch to black-silver for the strawberry beds — fewer weeds and noticeably warmer root zones through the cool weeks.”

— Crop manager, open-field berry farm

Spec your film with our team

Tell us the job, crop and climate — we’ll recommend material, thickness and additives, and quote factory-direct.

Request a quote →

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