Raschel Shade Mesh OBAMALLA protects your crops from excessive sunlight

A shade house built with 35% or 50% raschel mesh allows better vegetative development in vegetables.

There are several academic studies that demonstrate the benefits of cultivating under a raschel shade mesh (in a shade house or greenhouse) for vegetable crops, especially solanaceous plants like tomatoes, peppers, chilies, and even cucurbits such as cucumber.

Shade Mesh OBAMALLA® raschel — Example of Obamalla raschel shade mesh installed in a shade house.

Advantages of the Cultivation

The advantages of shaded cultivation include reduced stress on plants, diffused light that doesn’t cause water stress on leaves and fruits, increased retention of ambient moisture and soil moisture. The shade mesh acts as a cooling layer during the day and helps maintain heat during the nighttime, capturing some of the infrared rays that would otherwise dissipate into the environment. In the case of tomatoes, for example, being able to control the temperature difference during daylight hours and preventing nighttime temperatures from dropping too much prevents fruit cracking. It’s important to remember that when a plant, like a tomato, begins to experience water stress, it draws water from its fruits to the leaves and stems. This continuous response to temperature differences causes cracks in the fruit.

A macrotunnel for protected crops covered with OBAMALLA® shade cloth in black.

Raschel Weave

OBAMALLA® is black (it’s worth noting that black agricultural plastics last the longest under direct sunlight, as carbon black is one of the best blockers against polymeric deterioration due to UV rays).

With the OBAMALLA® raschel shade mesh, you can diffuse the sun's rays that fall on your flower crops. obamalla — With the OBAMALLA® raschel shade mesh, you can diffuse the sun’s rays that fall on your flower crops.

There’s an academic trend towards using colored shade meshes because they manage to increase crop yields by about 2-3% more than the traditional and more economical black mesh. However, in the professional sector (moving away from the theoretical academic setting), the difference in cost and durability between a colored mesh and a black one is so significant that farmers and investors prefer to stick with a longer-lasting product, like OBAMALLA.

Greenhouse covered with OBAMALLA® shade prevents water stress.

Continuous exposure to sunlight is not optimal for all plants; protect them with OBAMALLA® shade mesh.

Shade House for Greenhouses

Whether it’s going to be used in a greenhouse or a horizontal shade house structure, OBAMALLA® can be tightly stretched to prevent wear from wind friction at contact points. This system prevents the sun from directly heating. Alternatively, the OBAMALLA® shade mesh can be installed on internal retractable horizontal systems, computer-controlled, which open and close according to the sun’s angle and desired temperature. In both cases, a diffused light system very suitable for vegetable cultivation is achieved.

Using raschel shade mesh with trellis supports for vegetables

In many cases, crops under shade benefit from a vegetable support called HORTOMALLAS. This product allows for quick and easy installation of the plastic trellis mesh between rows. With just two people, one can train an acre a day, leaving a support system that surpasses in phytosanitary control any method of twine and stakes.

OBAMALLA: the color of the shade.