“The manufacture of any kind of plastic starts out with tiny pellets or beads; the insecticide of the sheet is actually in those beads instead of sprayed on, and it is guaranteed to be effective for at least a year, depending on how it is used. In some cases, the effect can last for up to 3 years,” affirms Charlene Lambert, of Square One.
According to Charlene, the nets currently being used in greenhouses have a very tight weave to protect the plants from certain tiny insects, but Square One’s DeBug Net will actually kill harmful ones within 30-45 minutes, and after only 30 seconds of contact. “An advantage our product has over tightly woven nets is that it allows for better air circulation within the greenhouse.”
The insecticide present in the net’s structure is a pyrethroid, a man-made pesticide similar to the natural pesticide Pyrethrum found in chrysanthemums. Square One uses the pyrethroids cypermethrin and deltamethrin, which are approved by both the EU and the World Health Organisation (WHO). “Our products have been tested by Taiwan’s National Chung Hsing University, a well-known and highly respected university specialized in agriculture. According to their test results, researchers did not detect any insecticide residues when plants (cabbages) were grown under our net tunnels and watered in a normal way (water falling through the nets). Charlene assures that, “we are continuing to test it with different crops in various laboratories, and under diverse conditions, in both Taiwan and Europe.”
Some of the species the DeBug Net is effective against include whiteflies, aphids, thrips and the tomato leaf miner. “Its price is also very competitive when you consider that it is more than just an insect net, as it is designed not to harm the environment or the plants and it helps reduce the amounts of insecticide used,” affirms Charlene.
It is worth noting that Square One is the spin off of a 30 year old, very experienced Taiwanese textile company with a strong environmental focus. Square One is continually innovating to develop the use of the product in many more ways, such as by installing it in the walls and windows of the greenhouse, or stretching it over open field crops.
“Many of the greenhouse builders and suppliers who saw it at GreenTech told us that it is one of the most innovative products in this sector that they have seen coming on the market for years, and it certainly sparked a lot of interest,” concludes Charlene Lambert.
For more information:Square One Enterprise Co., Ltd
Charlene Lambert -Manager Sales and Marketing - EMEA
[email protected]
Mobile: +31 (0) 6 2184 7256
www.squareone-net.com