Development of New Contacting Row Cover Materials to Prevent Cold Injury in Cabbages during Growing

We developed new materials to prevent cold injury in cabbage. The materials were made of spunbonded fabric of polyester fibers combinated with a net of polyethylene flat checker-patterned yarn. The mesh of the checker-patterned yarn was about 7mm squares. Polyester non-woven fabric was pasted in stripes on polyethylene flat checker-patterned yarn. The materials have good air ventilation capacity in the frosted and dew condensed condition, and high conduction capacity of sensible heat from air into the cover. Polyester non-woven fabric part of the materials was placed just above heads of cabbages on the ridges in the field, and the polyethylene yarn portion was placed just above the trough.Leaf temperature under the material, which is a combination of about 70% area of spunbonded fabric with checker-pattern yarn, was highest during all clear nights irrespective of wind speed. The materials significantly decreased incidence of head rot caused by cold injury in open field compare to control.