Since then, plastic films have made it possible to convert apparently
unproductive desert areas into modern agricultural developments,
and thus have encouraged economic growth in traditionally poor
areas. A clear example of this is the province of Almeria in southern
Spain. Once known only for its deserts and much used as a movie setting
for ‘westerns’, it now has a heavy concentration of greenhouses, which
has made it a worldwide model of agricultural development (Figure 1).
Plastics now pervade all aspects of agriculture and horticulture
and the variety of products is enormous [2–5]. In this article, the
main markets and applications of plastic films in agriculture, their key
properties, and the latest developments in this area have been reviewed
and updated