In agriculture, the poly tarp has many important uses. You can use it on the farm or the ranch, for example. Farmers can use the modern poly tarp to protect crops and equipment, shelter livestock, or temporarily repair a roof. They can also be used during any time of the year under any weather conditions. You can use them in any region or in any climate condition. They are perfect for humidity, rain, snow or even sun. Poly tarps are so versatile that they have become an indispensable tool for farmers and ranchers. However, there are special considerations you must take into account during more extreme weather conditions; still, poly tarp benefits far outnumber any disadvantages coming from the extra maintenance required to keep poly tarps in usable condition.

Animal Protection

Using a 100 x 100-inch heavy-duty poly tarp, you can provide shelter for your livestock and protect them from the elements. You can give them shade and give your animals a place to get out of the hot sun or the driving rain. For example, you can fasten the end of the tarp between two trees, and form an open shelter or lean to for the animals. If it's raining, construct the shelter on ground that's elevated, so that the water will roll off and won't stand in the shelter itself. You can also do this with a tarp that is 60 x 100 inches and is made of heavy-duty poly as well.

When you make a shelter for your animals, place the tarp high enough so that the horns of the animals, such as those from the bulls, do not brush against or possibly poke the tarp. You should also not hang the tarp too high, because this could cause rain to blow under the tarp and defeat its protection to the animals.

You can also fashion a shelter for your animals by using PVC pipe and creating a frame that you can then drape the tarp over. You can secure the edges at the bottom of the frame. This will let sides be created, which will give your animals more shelter. Particularly when you deal with cows or sheep, though, you should probably leave two sides open and close two sides in. If you leave just one entrance or exit point, this can cause your animals to panic so that they might tear down the shelter and even hurt themselves. Regardless, this would cause them not to have any protection from the weather.

Protecting Equipment

Tarps come in a wide variety of sizes, so you can use them to cover just about any type of equipment and machinery you own on your ranch or farm. You can cover your tractor or larger equipment such as threshing machines with them when these pieces of equipment are not in use. This is particularly of use if the region you live in is more humid, such as the Northwest United States or the Northeast and far Southern United States. In these particular climates, dampness and humidity can cause vehicles and equipment to rust. If you cover your vehicles with a tarp, you'll offer them some protection from this oxidization, which will extend the life of your equipment.

Protecting Crops

You can use lighter weight poly tarps to cover your crops and protect them from an early frost or freeze. However, you have to take care that moisture and water do not become trapped beneath the tarp. If this happens, you'll essentially be drowning your plants. In addition, be aware that tarps can protect crops from being burned by the intense sun, but it can also deprive them of the very light they need that's vital to their survival.

You can also use tarps to line irrigation trenches and help drive the water to specific areas. You can also use them to cover haystacks and hay bales out in the field so that they are protected from mold. The mold can be harmful to livestock.

Protecting Outbuildings

Barns and other outbuildings can gain protection from heavy-duty poly tarps. With a heavy-duty poly tarp, you can repair a roof or block off an area in which you are going to hose down livestock. Tarps are waterproof, so they provide an efficient barrier against moisture between your hose down area and your stalls, for example. Lighter and less expensive blue poly tarps are often used to repair the roofs of buildings (for example, the Army Corps of Engineers uses them for disaster victims after tornadoes or hurricanes and other disasters), but many farmers and other property owners prefer heavy-duty poly tarps, which provide added protection.

Heavy-Duty Poly Tarp Benefits

If you've been through a disaster stricken area, no doubt you've seen the blue tarps utilized in homes where damage has occurred. These are very effective even over the rather long term. However, ranches and farmers usually prefer heavy-duty tarps, because they are sturdier. They last longer and can better stand up to adverse weather conditions than can the less expensive but lighter weight blue poly covers. In addition, heavy-duty tarps have UV inhibitor protection added to them, which prolongs the tarp's life during the very hot summer days. They can even protect against reflected sun from the snow, which can be equally damaging.