AgroTIF Film: What It Is and When to Use It on Soil

What is soil disinfection and why is it done?

In intensive production areas such as the Culiacán Valley and the Baja California valleys, the same soil receives high-value crops cycle after cycle: tomato, chili pepper, cucumber, eggplant, strawberry and other vegetables and berries. Over time, soil pathogens, nematodes and weed seeds build up and reduce crop health. Soil disinfection aims to reduce those populations before planting, either with a fumigant applied to the soil or with heat.

Plastic film plays a role in both cases. With a fumigant, its job is to keep the gas from escaping. With heat, its job is to let the sun through and hold the temperature. At ICUSA we have different products for each of the two tasks, and it is best not to mix up the concepts.

What is AgroTIF High Barrier film?

High barrier film is a barrier against the escape of the gases used in soil disinfection, and it is one of the company’s innovations. There are two types: VIF, virtually impermeable films, and TIF, totally impermeable films. AgroTIF is the second type: the technical data sheet describes it as a film that provides a near-absolute barrier against oxygen, with applications in mulch films and greenhouses.

The catalog compares gas escape for three films: conventional, UHB and AgroTIF, and shows AgroTIF with the lowest escape of the three. If you need that comparison with its values, ask the ICUSA advisor for it with the technical data sheet in hand. The values depend on test conditions, and what matters for your field is how it performs with your fumigant and your crop.

Among the results the data sheet associates with this film are increased pesticide retention, a stronger weed control effect and improved harvest yield in mulch film and open fumigation applications. These are results described by the manufacturer, not guarantees: each farm behaves differently, so it is worth validating them in your field with your agronomist.

AgroTIF, natural film or solarization film? How to choose

The catalog separates three options that are often confused. This table organizes them by disinfection method:

When does AgroTIF make sense?

In practical terms, AgroTIF makes sense when your soil management already includes a fumigant and you want the gas to stay in the soil as long as it needs to act, instead of escaping into the atmosphere. It is usually evaluated in these cases:

• Fields with a history of soil pathogens, nematodes or difficult weeds, where disinfection is already part of the plan.
• High-value crops per hectare, where every cycle counts, such as tomato, chili pepper, cucumber, eggplant, strawberry or berries.
• Growers who want the applied product to be retained in the soil and not lost through escape, which is exactly the function of a high barrier film.
• Farms that use mulch film: according to the data sheet, AgroTIF is applied in both mulch films and greenhouses.

It is not the right product if what you need is a general-purpose mulch film to control weeds and moisture in a crop without fumigation. For that there are the colored agricultural mulch films. And if your strategy is solarization, the product is the natural film for solarization, not AgroTIF.

How is solarization used as an alternative?

Solarization is a natural, hydrothermal process: the film lets solar radiation through to the moist soil, heats it to levels lethal for pathogens and holds the heat overnight. It works best in the sunniest months, with well-moistened soil and the film well sealed at the edges. For it to perform, the film needs high light transmittance and high thermal efficiency, meaning it lets light in and retains heat. In Sinaloa and Baja California, the summer with the highest radiation is the natural window for this practice between one cycle and the next.

What precautions are needed with fumigation?

A soil fumigant is a regulated product and dangerous if mishandled. Use only products authorized for your crop, follow the label, respect the safety intervals and work with trained personnel. The film does not change those rules: it only helps the gas stay where it should. For installation details, review ICUSA’s usage recommendations and define the fumigation scheme with your agronomist advisor.

Where to buy and who to talk to?

To choose between AgroTIF, natural film or solarization, the advisor needs to know the crop, the field history, the application method and the planting date. You can see the picture for each region in the guide to agricultural plastics by state, the use of colors in mulch film in Sinaloa and strawberry and berry protection in macro tunnels in Baja California. For product details, visit the AgroTIF High Barrier film page.

If you grow in Sinaloa, ICUSA serves you directly from its plant in Culiacán. In Baja California the route is the same: contact ICUSA directly and an advisor will assist you by WhatsApp.