TEXTILES IN AGRICULTURE – A REVIEW

Dr. S.Grace Annapoorani & K.Saranya

Associate Professor & PhD Research Scholar

Department of Textiles and Apparel Design

Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-46

Introduction

The word "AGRO‐ TEXTILES" is now used to classify the woven, non‐woven and knitted
fabrics applied for agricultural and horticultural uses. Agricultural and horticultural uses
covering livestock protection, shading, weed and insect control, and extension of the growing
season. The essential properties required are Strength, elongation, stiffness, porosity, bio-
degradation, resistance to sunlight and resistance to toxic environment. The reduced usage of
harmful pesticides and herbicides render a healthy farming culture and is an eco‐friendly
technique. Agricultural textiles for its excellent environmental resistance, mechanical
properties, easy process ability and durability characteristics can improve quantity, quality
and safety of agricultural products.

Agro textiles are application of textile materials in the agriculture field. With the continuous
increase in population worldwide, stress on agricultural crops has increased. So it is
necessary to increase the yield and quality of agro‐products. Agro processing is defined as set
of techno‐economic activities, applied to all the produces, originating from agricultural farm,
livestock, aqua cultural sources and forests for their conservation, handling and value
addition to make them usable as food, feed, fibre, fuel or industrial raw materials.

Agro Textiles in need:

• They prevent the soil from drying out and increases crop yield.
• They improve product quality.
• Agro textiles protects farmer from harmful pesticides.
• The best-known products are shade netting and thermal screens, the use of which can
save up to 40% on energy in heating greenhouses.
• Their use improves the quality of fruit, prevents staining and improves uniformity of
color.
Benefits of Applying Agro‐Textile

• They increase crop production.

• They avoid the soil from drying out.
• They decrease the requirement of fertilizers, pesticides and water.
• They make product quality better.
• They increase the early maturing of crops and non‐seasonal plants

Fibres used for Agro Textiles

Man made (synthetic) fibres are preferred for agricultural product than the natural fibres due
to their high strength, durability and other suitable properties of agricultural applications. On
the other hand natural fibre based agro-textiles not only serve the specific purpose but also
after some year degrade and act as natural fertilizers. Fibres used in agro-tech sectors are as
follows:
• Nylon
• Polyester
• Polyethylene
• Polyolefin
• Polypropylene
• Jute
• Wool
• Coir
• Sisal
• Flax
• Hemp
Though man made fibres (like poly-olefins) are preferred for agro-textiles than the natural
fibres mainly due to their favourable price performance ratio, light weight with high strength
and long service life, but natural fibres can be used in agro-textiles in some specific arena
where characteristics like high moisture retention, wet strength, biodegradability are
effectively exploited.

Properties Required for Agro-Textiles

• Tensile Strength: The tensile strength of shade nets can be a deciding factor of its
long term durability and service life. Hence good tensile strength is necessary
parameter for shade nets.
• Withstands solar radiation: Agro textiles are laid over the cultivated areas
immediately after sowing or planting. For such application Agro-textiles has to
withstand solar radiation with varying surrounding temperature.
• Withstands ultraviolet radiation: The Non visible radiations include ultraviolet
radiations (UV) radiation leads to degradation of molecular chains. No single material
is resistant to all radiations .polypropylene and polyester are more resistant to UV
radiations when used as an outdoor material, polyethylene is treated with the
appropriate UV stabilizers. Potential to reduce the impact of UV radiation on plants
by light absorbing or light‐reflecting non-woven (light permeability: 80 to 90% to
allow photosynthesis to take place).
• Bio degradability: Natural fibres like wool, jute, cotton are also used where the bio-
degradability of product is essential. Natural polymer gives the advantage of bio-
degradation but has low service life when compared to the synthetics.
• Abrasion Resistance: The abrasion to which a shade net is subjected may be of the
material itself (material to material) or stray animals .abrasion of the shade net would
result in holes though which animals and pests could enter the structure and harm the
crops .good abrasion resistance is required of shade nets.
• High potential to retain water: This is achieved by means of fibre materials which
allow taking in much water and by filling in super-absorbers. While non-woven’s
meant for the covering of plants show a mass per unit area of 15 to 60 gm/m2, values
between 100 and 500 g/m2 are reached with materials for use on embankments and
slopes.
• Protection property: It must have the properties of protection from wind and
creation of a micro‐climate between the ground and the non-woven, which results in
temperature and humidity being balanced out. At the same time, temperatures in the
root area rise. This is what causes earlier harvests, sufficient stiffness, flexibility,
evenness, elasticity, biodegradability, dimensional stability and resistance to wetness.
Fungicidal finish (up to 2% of the total mass), which avoids soil contamination.
• Resistance to microorganisms: It must resistant to microorganism to protect the
living being.
• Stable construction: The construction must be such that it must be stable for any
application.
• Lightweight: The weight of the fabric should be such that it will bare by the plant.
Manufacturing Processes of Agro-Textiles

Several techniques of fabric production can be used to produce agro-textiles. Each method
offers specific advantages for particular product. The techniques are:

Weaving and woven products

Woven products are manufactured by using weaving machines especially Sulzer projectile
weaving machines. The range of light to heavy and wide width fabric production is possible
with Sulzer projectile weaving machine. The machines with weaving width of 540 cm to 846
cm are available for the production of agro-textiles. The nets with a mesh width of 1.8 mm to
40 mm can be produced. Other methods of fabric manufacturing such as air-jet and rapier
weaving machines are not preferred for the manufacture of such fabrics as they do not have
required weaving width.

Knitting
Warp knitting technique is most widely used in comparison to weft knitting. Warp knitted
protective nets are used in different sectors, which are produced on Raschel machines. Agro
nets are produced in various constructions or lapping. Here, the construction or lapping is a
way in which individual yarn systems are converted into fabrics.

Non-woven
There are many techniques to produce non-woven fabrics. Spun bonding and needle punch
techniques are mainly used for the production of non-woven agro-textiles. The spun bonded
fabric has high and constant tensile strength in all directions. It has also good tearing
strength. Needle punched fabric plant bags provide advantages over conventional fired clay
pots. All natural fibres offer an added advantage of that the container decomposes after being
planted in the ground. Thermal Bonding, Stitch-bonded, Hydro entangled & Wet non-woven
are also used.

Applications of agro textiles

Agro-textiles for production of crops

Sunscreen

These are used in order to protect fields and greenhouses from the intense solar radiation for
healthy plant growth and good harvest. Sunscreen nets with open mesh construction are used
to control sunshine and amount of shade required. These net fabrics allow the air to flow
freely. So the excess heat does not built up under the screen.

Bird protection nets

Knitted monofilament nets (Open, knitted, nets for crop protection) offer effective passive
protection of seeds, crops and fruit against damage caused by birds and a variety of pests.
Open‐mesh net fabrics are used as a means of protecting fruit plantation. The special open
structure repels birds, provides minimal shading and excellent air circulation ‐ allowing plants
to flourish, whilst avoiding the risk of dangerous mold developing on the fruit.

Plant net
Fruits, which grow close to the ground, can be kept away from the damp soil by allowing
them to grow through vertical or tiered nets in order to keep the amount of decayed fruit to a
minimum. These are made from polyolefin type of fibre.
Ground cover
Ground cover is an extremely versatile landscaping and horticultural fabric for long‐term
weed control, moisture conservation and separation. It is mainly used in planted areas. It
effectively suppresses competitive weed growth, conserves ground moisture, maintains a
clean surface, protects from UV rays and creates a favorable environment for healthy plant
growth. Ground covers can reduce the costs and minimizes undesirable herbicide use. Using
this ground cover in display areas, nurseries and greenhouses, free draining and hard wearing
surface. Fabric is regularly used to maintain a clean crop and reduce maintenance and disease
problems.

Windshield /Wind protection nets/Wind-breaks

Wind control fabrics can improve fruit quality by minimizing bruising, shoot tip scorching.
Trees that are protected from wind are generally healthier, reach full growth more rapidly,
and have higher yield. Wind Break Fabrics protect crops from wind and, in some cases,
orchard temperatures can be increased by reducing wind speed. Windbreak fabrics start
blocking wind immediately, don’t harbor insects, require little maintenance, and will not
compete with crops for water and nutrients. UV stabilized fabrics provide years of wind
protection for crops. These fabrics are also made up of UV stabilized polyethylene mono
filaments both woven and knitted form.

Root ball net

It is extremely important for safe and speedy growing of young plants such that root system is
not damaged when they are dug up, transported or replanted. Normally the root balls are
wrapped in cloth. Elastic net tubes are alternative to this. When the plants are transplanted,
the nets on the outside do not have to be removed since the roots can protrude through the
nets.
Insect meshes
Clearly, woven and knitted polyethylene monofilament meshes to exclude harmful insects
from greenhouses and tunnels, or to keep pollinating insects inside, The fine woven screens
protect plants from insect attack (without the use of insecticides).

Mulch mat

Mulching is defined as cover up of soil around the plants to preserve soil wetness, reducing
nutrient loss by leaching and weeds control where chemical fertilizers are used and to modify
soil temperature.

• Mulching reduces overflow, increase penetration of rainwater, controls erosion, and

corrects the chemical stability of the soil and decrease damage done by pests and bug.
• There are some secondary special effects, mulching produces, apart from the above
major results; such as upgrading of soil structure, boost in micro-activity, earthworm
populations.
• Black film put a stop to the germination and expansion of wild plant seeds in contrast to
clear film. It sucks up more sun energy and keeps hold of higher heat beneath the film.
 • In India, straw, silage, sawdust, asphalt paper, etc is conventionally used for mulching.
Exercise of technical textiles for mulching is yet to gain momentum.
• Currently, mulch mats are being used largely in vegetable (which are small duration
harvest) and few fruit crops.
• Mulch mats are used to keep ripening of fruits, off the soil. The reduced get in touch
with the soil decline fruit deterioration as well as remain the fruit and vegetables clean.
This is advantageous for the production of numerous fruits including strawberries.

Process of using mulch:

• Ahead of plantation of the seedlings, the beds of the field are roofed with the mulch
layer (generally a black opaque film) and the holes are made at the desired spots where
in the seeds are planted.
• The use of mulch mats along with the use of drip irrigation can lead to significant
increase in productivity. But, the non-biodegradable mulches must be removed from the
field and disposed off properly.

Product characteristics:

• Mulch mats can be classified as:-

• Woven
• Non-woven
• Mulch-films
• Mulch mats prepared by eco-friendly material are incorporated into the soil as fertilizer
for the next crop.
• Wool mulch mats permit water to enter in to the soil and act as a blockade to put a stop
to too much soil desiccation throughout dry period. It also offer better insulation and
prevents damage from ground coolness.
• On the other hand, HDPE/LLDPE mulch films are cheaper and last for one to four years.
Mulch films made of LLDPE are most commonly used for mulching in India.
• The process of extrusion manufactures the films of different thicknesses. The thickness
of the films is based on the harvest requirement and the time-period for which the mulch
films are planned to be used.
• For instance, some manufacturers recommend 7 microns film for crops like groundnut.
 • Mulch films of thickness 100 microns are used for mango trees, which are used over
many years.
• The most common thicknesses of films are 25, 50 and 100 microns.
• The coverage of mulch films is dependent on the thickness. UV master-batch is added to
ensure UV stabilization.
• Availability of mulch films in the market are in the roll forms. The most frequently
offered films have a width of 1-1.15 meters. The films are usually black in color; the
purpose of black color is to retain higher soil temperature.
Raw materials:
• Natural fibre such as wool and jute and manmade fibres such as LLDPE, HDPE,
polypropylene, polyester, are used to prepare mulch mats.
• Wool fibre is used for designing Non-woven Mulch mat,
• LLDPE polymer is used for Mulch films (Extruded sheets in various thicknesses,
microns) and
• Fibres like jute and cotton are used for Woven mulch mats.

Technology used:

• Projectile.
• Circular weaving machine.
• Film Extruding machine.

Monofil nets
Tough, knitted Monofil, nets for windbreak fences and shading/privacy screens, A suitable
windbreak, set at a right‐angle to the prevailing wind, will protect plants against the harmful
effects of blustery weather ‐ which can break young branches, damage flowers and cause
leaves to dry or tear. The nets also protect against frosts and help enhance the micro‐ climate.
This not only safeguards the current harvest but also benefits future crops, since the woody
part of the plant are protected too.

Cold and frost control fabrics

Temperature Control fabric is a nonwoven, spun bonded polyester fabric designed to protect
crops from cold, frost, insects and a variety of adverse environmental factors. Temperature
Control fabric helps captures heat on sunny days and retains heat radiating from the ground at
night. This aids in protecting sensitive ornamentals, nursery stock and foliage 24 hours a day.
Frost and Cold Protection fabric protects plants from frost kill during unexpected late cold
snaps and unseasonably early ones. Frost and Cold Protection fabric can be laid right on the
plants, unlike plastic covers that can attract frost and burn any leaves that touch them.Cold
protection tough fabric row covers are perfect for protecting low growing, high value field
crops from frosts, wind, cold, and birds. The woven, semi-clear fabric allows sunlight, air,
and water through to the plants. The fabric can be used alone or over wire hoops. The covers
are strong, durable, and can last for many growing seasons.
Nets for covering pallets
For safe transportation of fruits and vegetables to the market the boxes are covered with large
mesh nets and pallets to stop the boxes being turned upside down. This prevents damage of
goods during transportation.

Anti-hailstone nets
A range of nets that protect against damages caused by various factors: Windbreaks for
individual and environmental installation. Hail protection nets for installation in inclined and
vertical structures. Bird protection nets for installation in different structures and to be thrown
above tree canopies. Insect protection nets for installation in net houses and on greenhouse
envelop to keep out aphids, thrips and mites.

Harvesting net
Harvesting nets are used to collect the fruits falling from a tree. This helps to keep the cost of
cultivation low by eliminating additional labor associated with harvesting. Harvesting nets
are predominantly grip structures which can be developed using warp knitting technology.
Packing materials for agricultural products:
Nets can be used for packaging of farm products for many end uses. It includes packing sacks
for vegetables, tubular packing nets for fruits and wrappers for Christmas trees, Net structures
are preferred because of their high strength, low weight, air permeability and cheapness.

Agro‐textiles for Horticulture & Floriculture:

Application of textile materials in horticulture is growing fast. Nets, non‐woven mats,
movable screens for glass/poly houses, non‐woven sheets, mixed bed for mushrooms,
cordage and strings are used in horticulture. Nets are also used for protection against
hailstorms, intense sunrays, etc. Light resistant woven and non-woven polyester fabrics are
used in the inside of green house to protect the plants from extreme hot or cold conditions.
They are also used on the outside of the green houses as screen to control sun light.
Some of the agro-textiles that are used frequently for horticultural & floriculture use are as
follows:
▪ Hail protection fabrics
▪ Mulch net
▪ Rain protection fabrics
 ▪ Wind control fabrics
▪ Harvesting nets

Agro-textile for Animal Husbandry:

Nylon and polyester identification belts are used for cows. Textile nets are used to support the
large udders. Non-woven fabrics are used to filter the milk in automatic milking systems and
as an underlay to reduce mud on cattle paths and trails.

Fishing and aquaculture nets:

Fishnets are used for fishing and in fish farming. Warp knitted knotless nets results in low
energy expenditure when the net is used for fishing. They are mainly produced from Nylon
monofilament, multifilament or HDPE.
Conclusion

Unique manufacturing techniques and properties of the blend of agro textile sector products
whose cost is lesser than that of pesticides and chemical herbicides can be employed. 'Agro
textiles' gives multidimensional views and solutions to the problems being faced by agro
industry. Realizing the need of tomorrow, agricultural sector is opting for various
technologies to get higher overall yield, quality and tasty agro products. Therefore hi‐tech
farming techniques, where textile structures are used, can be adopted to meet the purp. The
journey so far through this paper has thus unravelled the macro views of this new venture of
textiles interference into Agriculture.