This document discusses agrotextiles, which are textile structures used for agricultural applications like agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry. It defines agrotextiles and outlines their classification and various uses, including as shade cloths, frost covers, harvesting aids, windshields, and in animal husbandry and aquaculture. The document also discusses fibers commonly used in agrotextiles like nylon, polyester, and jute. It summarizes recent innovative work on using agrotextiles and biodegradable mulches to improve crop yields and quality.

1. 1
AGRO-TEXTILE
Step Towards Sustainability
………………
INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY (UDCT)
MUMBAI
KANHAYA LAL KUMAWAT
M.TECH. (RESEARCH STUDENT)

2. TECHNICAL TEXTILE:
2
 Textile materials and products manufactured for their
technical and functional purpose rather than their aesthetic
or decorative characteristics.
 Fastest growing textile in industrial sector and account for
almost 19% (10 million tones).
 It encompass high performance fibers, yarns, woven,
knitted, nonwoven, braided and composite structures.

3. WHAT IS AGROTEXTILE ?
3
 Special textiles that are manufactured for agricultural
applications
 These textile structures are used as controlling environment
for plants/animals in applications like:
– Agriculture
– Horticulture
– Animal husbandry
 Benefits Of Agro-textile Products
 Used in Protected Cultivation For Indian
Agriculturists for improved Productivity & Quality Of
Produce and lower Cost Of Production

4. CLASSIFICATION OF AGROTECH
4
 Arable Farming : Arable farming is growing crops in
fields, which have usually been ploughed before planting
 Horticulture : To protect the expensive fruits from bird
attack, trees are covered with nets
 Animal husbandry: Basically used in milk industry, and
poultry industry
 General application : Include clothing, mud control, water
hoses, wind screens

5. FIBRES USED IN AGROTECH :
5
There is use of synthetics as well as natural fibers in agro-
textiles. Fibres used in are as follows:
Nylon
Polyester
Polyethylene
Polypropylene
Jute

6. NEED OF AGRO TEXTILES :
6
 They prevent the soil from drying out and increase crop yield.
 They improve product quality.
 Agro textiles protects farmer from harmful pesticides.
 Thermal protection textiles are treated with ultraviolet ray
stabilizers which prevent plats from damage.
 The best known products are shed netting and thermal screens,
 Their use prevents sun drying of seeds during sowing and
germination of plant.
 Materials for ground and plant water management at the time
of scarcity and abundance of water.

7.  PROPERTIES:
7
 Resistance to micro-organisms: Agro textile should be resist
the impact caused by the microorganism.
 Withstands solar radiation: Laid over the cultivated areas
immediately after sowing or planting.
 Withstands ultraviolet radiation : These are special types of
carbon black which convert the UV radiation into thermal
radiation. Good potential to reduce the impact of UV radiation
on plants by light-absorbing or light-reflecting nonwovens.
 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.

8.  PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE:
8
 Woven:
Woven products are produced using Sulzer projectile weaving
machines. The machines with weaving width of 540cm to
846cm are available for the production of agro textiles .The
nets with a mesh width of 1.8mm to 40mm.
 Knitting:
Warp knitting technique is most widely used compare than the
weft knitting. Warp knitted protective nets are used indifferent
sectors, which are produced on Rachel Machine.
 Nonwoven:
Needle-punched nonwovens, Stitch-bonded nonwovens,
Thermally bonded nonwovens ,Hydro entangled nonwovens
,Spun bonded nonwovens. Needle punched fabric plant bags
provide advantages over conventional fired clay pots.

9.  APPLICATIONS:
9
 Sun screening (shade cloth)
 Frost Covering
 Harvesting
 Wind protection
 Landscape covering
 Bird protection
 Insect protection
 Turf protection
 Irrigation
 Drainage
 Aquaculture
 Insulation
 Horticulture
 Animal Husbandry

10.  AGRO SHADE CLOTHS
 Shade cloth/Shade Netting
These are sunscreens and provide
necessary protection to the plants
against:
 Excessive heat,
 Burning of the crops due to direct
sunshine and
 UV damage.
Examples:
Knitted or woven polyethylene and polyolefins fabrics.
Should not rot or become brittle & should avoid mildew formation
1010

11. FROST COVERING
• Adverse Effects of Frost:
Frost can kill the seeds and adversely affect the
ariel portion of the plant. Frost makes the plant
loose its moisture and dry out.
 Frost Covering:
Minimizes moisture and heat loss.
Keeps the plant warm and healthy.
Nonwoven fabrics are preferred for Frost Covers:
Lightweight, breathable and those which dry
quickly are used. These fabrics should provide
open spaces for crop treatments.
Examples:
Nonwoven spun bonded mesh fabric and
nonwoven UV resistant polypropylene fleece.
11
11

12. HARVESTING AIDES:
 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.
1
2
12

13.  WINDSHIELDS:
• Windshields are used to protect the
crops from high velocity wind damage
• These can also be used to control the
temperature by hindering cooling due to the
wind
• These are installed perpendicular to the direction
of the wind to reduce the wind speed
These Prevent:
Breaking of branches,
Early falling of the fruits and
Damage to the leaves and flowers.
Examples:
Woven and knitted UV stabilized windshields using
high density polyethylene monofilaments.
13
13

14.  LANDSCAPE COVERS;
• These are used for weed control and
prevent penetration of thin roots of
weeds.
• In addition they also maintain optimal
soil temperatures for rapid plant growth.
Examples:
Biodegradable needle punched nonwovens and
coated fabrics
1414

15.  ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
15
 The animal husbandry is another important application
where the textile is used for animal related application
which is indirectly related with the field.
In this application there is use of agro textiles for 3
main areas
 Identification belts of polyester and nylon material for
animals identification.
 Filtering of milk in an automatic milking system.
 Underlay to reduce the mud on cattle paths and trails.

16.  AQUACULTURE
16
 Shade for fish tanks,
 Protection from birds,
 Fabric for sifting and separation at various larvae
growth stages, fish hatcheries…
 Filtering the water in fish tanks, dietary algae.

17. PARTICULARS OF AGROTEXTILE
PRODUCTS
17

18.  RECENT INNOVATIVE WORK:
18
 Kolata E. et al applied synthetic mulches and flat covers
with perforated foil and agro-textile in zucchini plant for
growth purpose
 The highest total fruit yield was obtained in cultivation on
PP agro-textile mulch with a perforated foil used as cover the
plants
 Fruits of 8-15 cm length accumulated the most considerable
quantities of vitamin C, as well as phosphorus and
potassium, while in fruits > 22 cm long was highest amount
of nitrates and carotenes

19. 19
 Similar type of worked on Kohlrabi plant is done.
 Kohlrabi is a fast growing, cool season vegetable cultivated
primarily for its enlarged stem, which is rich in nutritional
components, especially vitamin C and potassium
 Biesiada A. studied the effect of flat covers and plant density
on yielding and quality of Kohlrabi
 They found that application of flat covers with perforated PE
film and non-woven polypropylene agro-textile provided
significantly higher yield of Kohlrabi

20.  EFFECT OF BIODEGRADABLE AND
POLYETHYLENE MULCHES
20
 Vegetable growers have employed plastic films for
mulching to reduce the growth of weeds, soil erosion from
wind or water, leaching of fertilizers, especially on light,
sandy soils, and the development of plant diseases coming
from the soil
 Avoids the fluctuations in temperature in the first 20–30 cm
depth in soils
 The LLDPE, especially black PE, is used due to easy
processing, excellent chemical resistance, high durability,
flexibility and odorless
 Problem:- handling the plastic wastes and the
environmental impact

21. 21
 Alternative to disposal of plastic mulches is use of films
produced with biodegradable polymers or biopolymers
(polymers formed from renewable resources), composed of
polysaccharides such as cellulose and starch
 Starch films, mainly from corn, potato and rice crops,
possess low permeability and are mineralized into harmless
products (carbon dioxide and methane, water and biomass)
 Moreno M. M. et al study demonstrates that the use of
biodegradable plastic materials for mulching may be an
alternative to the polyethylene films, because BD mulches
fulfill successfully all the functions of the traditional plastic
mulches. These biodegradable materials did not decrease
yields and fruit quality attributes in crops
 Biodegradable films warm soils less than polyethylene
mulches, advantage over high temperature affect on crop
condition

22.  AGROTECH [2007-08] & [2012-13]
PRODUCTION IMPORTS
22

23.  CONCLUSION
The wide end use application are motivation for the
potential uses and advantages of greater efficiency using
resources of land, water and labour, higher and
consistent quality and higher yield of products including
environmental protection of health community .
Agro textiles preciously is a stepping stone in progress
of human kind since it influences productivity
,economics, and advance techniques for the better
future.
23

24.  REFERENCE:
24
 Kołota, E., Adamczewska-Sowińska K., Acta Scientiarum
Polonorum, Hortorum Cultus,10(4),179-189,2011
 Moreno, M.M., Moreno, A., Scientia Horticulturae,
116(3), 256-263,2008
 Biesiada A., Journal of Elementol, 13(2), 167-173,2008