CANOPY MATERIAL
A canopy sheet material for use over growing plants such as grape or berry or other fruit vines has higher water permeability in a longitudinally extending substantially center lengthwise part ( 33 ) than in lengthwise side parts ( 34 ). In use rain falling on the canopy runs down the side parts ( 34 ) and drains through the center part ( 33 ) to approximately the center of each tree or vine which keeps water away from the fruit under the less water permeable side parts ( 34 ).
1 . A canopy sheet material having a greater length than width and having higher water permeability in a longitudinally extending substantially centre lengthwise part of the material than in lengthwise side parts of the material on either side of the higher water permeability center part, and wherein at least the side parts of the material are substantially water impermeable and are transparent or translucent, and the center part of the material is narrower across the length of the material than the side parts of the material and has permeability such that when substantially horizontal water can drain rapidly through the center part without pooling.
2 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the center lengthwise part of the material has a width of at least 5 cm.
3 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the center lengthwise part of the material has a width of at least 8 cm.
4 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 also comprising lengthwise extending outer parts outboard of the side parts and in which the material has higher permeability than in the side parts
5 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 4 wherein the permeability of the outer parts is intermediate between that of the side parts and the center part.
6 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 4 or also comprising lengthwise extending outermost edge parts outboard of the outer parts.
7 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 also comprising lengthwise extending outer most edge parts outboard of the side parts.
8 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 which is white in color
9 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 formed from a plastics resin comprising a white pigment.
10 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 formed from a plastics resin comprising a white pigment selected from the group consisting of zirconium dioxide, magnesium zirconate, calcium zirconate, strontium zirconate, barium zirconate, zirconium silicate, zinc sulphide, calcium carbonate, barium sulphate, magnesium oxide, strontium carbonate, barium carbonate, and potassium titanate and mixtures thereof.
11 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the material is woven from warp and weft tapes.
12 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 4 wherein the material is woven from warp and weft tapes and the permeability of the material in the center part of the material is through the wave weave of the warp and weft tapes.
13 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 4 wherein the material is woven from warp and weft tapes and the structure of the weave is altered in the center lengthwise part of the material relative to the side parts of the material.
14 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 wherein warp tapes have a greater thickness than the weft tapes in the center part of the material.
15 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 wherein warp tapes have a greater thickness in the center part of the material than in the side parts of the material.
16 . A canopy sheet material according to any claim 1 wherein warp tapes in the side parts of the material have a rectangular or square cross-section and warp tapes in the center part of the have a circular or oval cross-section.
17 . A canopy sheet material according to any claim 1 wherein warp and/or weft tapes comprise slits through the tapes lengthwise of the tapes in the center part of the material.
18 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 1 wherein the material is in the center part of the material woven with a weave of tightness such that at crossings of warp and weft tapes of the material the warp and weft tapes are pushed or crammed against each other, such that warp and/or weft tapes are partly folded.
19 . A canopy sheet material according to any one of claim 1 wherein the width of the material is between about 2.5 and about 3.5 metres meters.
20 . A canopy sheet material having a greater length than width and having higher water permeability in a longitudinally extending substantially center lengthwise part of the material than in lengthwise side parts of the material on either side of the higher water permeability center part, and wherein at least the side parts of the material are substantially water impermeable and are transparent or translucent, and the center part of the material has permeability such that when substantially horizontal water can drain through the center part, the material also comprising lengthwise extending outer parts outboard of the side parts and in which the material has higher permeability than in the side parts, and the permeability of the outer parts being intermediate between that of the side parts and the center part.
21 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 20 wherein the center lengthwise part of the material has a width of at least 5 cm.
22 . A canopy sheet material according to claim 20 wherein the center lengthwise part of the material has a width of at least 8 cm.
23 . A method which includes supporting over one or more plant(s) as a canopy a sheet material according to claim 1 so that rain falling on the canopy runs down the side parts and drains through the center part to approximately the center of the plant(s).
24 . A method according to claim 23 which includes supporting the sheet material by clipping or otherwise attaching lengthwise edges of the material to cables or wires along rows of plants on either side, in a garden, field crop, orchard or vineyard.