Straw Bale Protection Fleece

What is Straw Fleece?

Straw fleece (also known as hay fleece or bale cover fleece) is a nonwoven crop protection fabric with a fully closed surface, manufactured from environmentally friendly polypropylene (PP). It is lightweight, flexible, extremely tear-resistant, and offers minimal wind resistance making it far easier to install compared to traditional tarpaulins or plastic sheeting.

This special agricultural cover fleece is primarily used for straw bales, hay bales, grain and other biomass. In practice, straw fleece is often referred to as straw bale fleece or straw bale protection fleece.

It can be used to cover round bales, square bales and high-density bales. These cover fleeces have been in use for over 10 years and have proven highly effective. In fact, their market share in Germany is now very high, hardly any farmer still relies on conventional tarpaulins, silage film, or standard plastic films.

How Does Straw Protection Fleece Work?

Our straw bale protection fleece has a fully closed surface, but unlike plastic film or tarpaulin, it is breathable and vapour-permeable. While it is not completely waterproof, it is water-repellent.

When the fleece is laid in a gable roof shape over a stack of hay or straw bales, rainwater runs off the sides just like from a roof. Small amounts of water may penetrate the fleece, but this is not a problem: thanks to its breathability, any moisture can easily escape again, keeping the stored crop safe and dry.

Why is Straw Fleece Permeable to Water?

Unlike conventional cover film, straw fleece is not fully waterproof. Does that put your hay or straw bales at risk? Absolutely not.

On the contrary, the quality of your harvest is fully protected. Only a minimal amount of rainwater enters through the surface, and because the material is diffusion-open, more moisture can evaporate than can ever seep in.

Keep in mind: straw and hay always contain some natural moisture. With fleece covers, this residual moisture can escape freely, which is a major advantage of AGRIplus® cover fleece compared to plastic film or tarpaulin.

What Are the Advantages of Straw Protection Fleece?

Straw fleece offers a major advantage: residual moisture in hay and straw can escape throughout the entire storage period. The result is a significantly higher quality of your bales compared to traditional covers.

Key Benefits of Straw Fleece:

• No mould, better quality: Our cover fleece for hay and straw bales ensures dry, well-ventilated storage and prevents mould formation.
• Outstanding tear resistance: This PP fleece is almost impossible to tear by hand.
• Lightweight & easy to install: Despite its strength, the fleece is very light, making it simple to lay.
• Reduced wind sensitivity: Much easier to handle than conventional tarpaulins or plastic film.
• Durable & UV-resistant: Agricultural cover fleeces are designed for long-term outdoor use.
• Cost-effective: The base price of our bale fleece is lower than that of standard tarpaulins or woven tarpaulins.
• Extra longevity: Straw fleece lasts significantly longer than conventional tarpaulins.

Correct Installation of Cover Fleece

When covering bales with fleece, always ensure a pitched roof shape. Never allow the cover to lie flat or form depressions where rainwater could accumulate. Since round bale fleece is not completely watertight, this must be avoided.

Each roll or package comes with clear installation instructions to ensure your straw and hay are perfectly protected.

Important:

• Do not stretch strings, baler twine or ropes over the fleece.
• The agricultural fleece must be laid tightly and as wrinkle-free as possible.
• Secure the fleece at ground level with sandbags, silo bags, or fix it using eyelets, fleece nails, or special clips.
• The front side of the bale stack can remain open to allow ventilation. Using eyelets to pull down and secure the ends is recommended for safe fastening.

In most cases, the fleece can be installed without additional tools.

Accessories for Easy and Secure Fastening

To fix straw bale protection fleeces quickly and safely, the following accessories are available:

• HoldOn® eyelets and clips
• Clamp eyelets
• “Butterfly” hammer-in eyelets
• AGRIplus fleece nails (metal / plastic)
• Velcro joining tape (12.5 m or 25 m)
• Sandbags for weighting down

Winter Use

Yes, agricultural cover fleece can be used without hesitation in winter. Even snow will not damage the quality of your bales when covered with fleece.

AGRIplus – Our Premium Brand

AGRIplus Strong / Extra Strong

AGRIplus is our in-house premium brand, developed with maximum strength and durability in mind. With AGRIplus fleece, you get the ultimate protection and guarantee of top-quality hay and straw storage.

• Highest strength: 160 g/m² – the heaviest grade available on the market.
• Can be laid either side up – no distinction between top and bottom.

AGRIplus Standard

AGRIplus & Protex cover fleeces differ in that they have a clearly marked top and bottom side, eliminating application errors during installation. The weight is approx. 130–140 g/m².

Cover Fleece or Tarpaulin?

Cover fleece protects your bales far more effectively than plastic film, cover sheets, or tarpaulins.

With plastic covers, residual moisture inside the bales is trapped beneath the film. Moisture naturally rises upwards, so the bales underneath remain exposed to dampness. On hot days, condensation builds up, leading to mould and reduced bale quality.

With breathable straw fleece, moisture can escape, ensuring long-lasting, high-quality storage.

Colours

For many years, round bale fleece has been available exclusively in green. In the early days, fleeces were also produced in white, beige, brown and black. The use of the colour green is purely aesthetic, it has no influence on quality or performance.

Dimensions / Sizes of Fleece

Today there is a wide range of sizes available in both width and length. We supply customers with full rolls, cut-to-length material, or custom cuts. This means that even smaller quantities can be delivered as required.

Please note: Not every dimension is available as cut lengths.

AGRIplus Strong

AGRIplus Standard

AGRIplus Standard with Fastening Loops

Covering Grain

All of our straw cover fleeces are also suitable for covering grain. In Germany and other European countries, an EU hygiene regulation for stored food and feed requires grain to be covered in many cases.

Our fleeces are perfectly suited for this purpose:

• No condensation, thanks to breathability
• Proper aeration of grain is guaranteed
• Air permeability is ideal for use with drying systems

Covering Wood Chips

In the past, wood chips were also covered with straw protection fleece. Today, however, there is a specialised woodchip fleece, produced with an even higher grammage of 200 g/m².

• Dimensions are tailored to woodchip storage needs
• Available in our dedicated woodchip fleece category

Repairing PP Fleeces

Despite their high tear resistance, damage to the surface can occasionally occur. There is no specific adhesive tape for this material, as standard tape does not stick well enough to the surface.

The simplest repair method is to attach a patch using Velcro tape. Some customers also report that using silicone adhesive works effectively. Sewing is not recommended, as it is too time-consuming.

Joining Nonwoven Fleece

We supply two types of Velcro tape, ideally suited for joining two sheets or rolls of fleece together. (See accessories section above for details.)

Cutting Straw Fleece

Use a standard pair of scissors or a utility knife. Our film cutters available in the shop are also very practical tools.

Order Straw Bale Fleece

You will find prices and delivery terms for all types of protection fleece at excellent value in our online shop. Take your time to browse, and conveniently order your cover fleece online. The price will convince you.

Need larger quantities or are you a reseller? Would you like a free quotation, advice, or do you still have questions? We are happy to help. Simply send us an email, use our enquiry form, or give us a call: +49 7121 91180.

Shipping and Packaging

Shipping and delivery of your rolls are designed to be as simple, convenient, and reliable as possible. Your order will be delivered directly to your door across Germany with low shipping costs.

All products are packed neatly and securely in-house, ensuring that your goods arrive in perfect condition. Shipping is usually carried out by freight forwarding, as the rolls are often too large and heavy for parcel services.

Alternative Uses of Agricultural Cover Fleece

Our harvest protection fleeces can also be used safely for covering compost, potatoes, and grain. They are also widely used as frost protection for plant containers during winter. The green fleece has a decorative appearance, making it suitable as both protective and decorative material around pots.

Other practical uses include:

• as absorbent fleece during removals, to protect furniture
• as floor covering in garden sheds or under garden furniture
• as painter’s fleece or protective sheeting during renovation
• as compost fleece or for covering sugar beets, potatoes, and firewood

Conclusion

All types of protection fleece are excellent for covering straw, hay, and grain, protecting your products from rain, snow, moisture, and other weather conditions. The fleeces are durable, UV-resistant, and reusable over many years. Often, the available dimensions are a key factor in the purchase decision.

Looking for Garden Fleece Instead?

• Garden fleece
• Weed control fleece
• Woodchip fleece