Dr.R.P.NachanePrincipal Scientist and Head,

QEIDCIRCOT, Mumbai

What is agro-textiles? All the textile goods intended

for use in the agrarian production encompassing agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and forestry can be considered as agro-textiles.

Some of the main fields of agro-textiles Shade nets

Mulch mats Crop covers Anti-hail nets Net for protection from

birds Fishing nets

Why agro-textiles?

Increasing population pressure

Limited resources such as land, water, energy, etc.

Increased standard of leaving in general

Ecological problems, etc.

Why agro-textiles?

Can control climate, ecological degradation, efficient use of water, reduce use of herbicides, save energy, improve product quality, etc.

Different forms of agro-textiles Nets Sheets Woven fabrics Non-woven fabrics Knitted fabrics Coated composites

Requirements for qualifying as standards for agro-tech use

Sunscreen

Quality of nets required will depend on the amount of sunlight required for the crop as compared to that available in a given area.

Net for protection from birds Open structure with minimal

shading Net opening sufficiently small so as

to not allow birds damaging the crop

Made from material sufficiently strong for birds not to be able to cut open the net

Able to withstand sun, wind, rain in the region

Plant net For fruits growing close to the

ground Separate damp soil from fruits to

keep the amount of fruit decay to minimum

Should restrict the moisture reaching fruits

Maximum allowable level of moisture transmission through the fabric to be decided on the behaviour of the fruit under protection

Mulch mat/ ground cover Moisture and heat

transportation behaviour of the fabric should be studied.

Amount of light allowed to pass through should also be measured. It should be ideally zero not allowing any weeds to get light for development.

Wind shield

Wind shield

Fabric structure to sufficiently dampen the wind speed from maximum available in the area to the level which the plant concerned can withstand.

Accordingly, fabric air permeability and strength requirement are to be determined.

Root ball net

Should have sufficiently open structure to allow roots to grow through.

Should be bio-degradable over a period of time, may be, a few months when underground.

Meshes for protection from insects To keep out harmful insects

from entering green houses and tunnels

To keep pollinating insects inside

Mesh fineness to be adjusted accordingly

Mesh material to be strong enough for insects to be not able to destroy it

Tuft protection net

To prevent removal of earth in lumps during animal grazing in grassy areas of river banks

Should allow the grass to grow but give sufficient strength to ground so that earth is not removed with the movement of animals

Crop/ plant covers

Specifically designed to tackle weather damage – especially during the blossom, stoning and fruit ripening period.

Protection offered should be from frost, rain, hail and wind.

Should be tough with a high degree of UV stabilisation and suppleness for ease of handling

Packaging materials for agricultural products Packaging sack for vegetables Tubular packing nets for fruits Textile reinforced boxes for

transportation of fruits and vegetables

Should give strength and stability to the package able to withstand the forces during transportation

Almost all fabrics need UV stabilisation to increase the working life of fabrics.

Also, they should have anti-microbial as well as anti-insect/ pest treatments which are crop/ place dependent.

Projected global market size of technical textiles is US $ 120 to 150 billions.

Indian market is about US $6 billion (Rs. 30000 crores).

Agro-textiles form about 1.5% of the technical textile market.

Man made /synthetic fibres

are mainly used in technical

textiles due to their

favourable price/performance

ratio, ease of transportation

and setup, saving in storage

space and long service life.

BIS initiative

TXD 35 – sectional technical committee for Technical Textiles for Agrotech Applications

Some standards have already been approved and some more are in the process

Government of India initiative Steering committee for growth

and development of technical textiles under the Chairmanship of the Textile Commissioner, Mumbai

Centre of Excellence with SASMIRA, Mumbai as lead partner with MANTRA, Surat and NAU, Navsari as partners.

Long way to go