AGRO TEXTILES

Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Fishing segments -all the four sectors combined together are
popularly called as “Agrotech” sector. Wide varieties of agro textile products are available and the
selection of suitable type of products depends on the protection that the crop. Selection of the
agrotextile is greatly influenced by the geographical location. At some location agrotextiles are used
to protect the plantation from excessive sunlight while at some places it is expected to protect plant
from cold. Therefore selection of agrotextile is done as per the location and the desired protection
from the external agencies. With the use of high quality agrotextiles quality and yield of agro
products can be enhanced.

The benefits of applying agrotextiles are:

• 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

There are various types of agrotextiles considered to train or tie up plants.

Their objectives are
• To avoid branches from breaking
• To increase the cleanliness of the crop
• To make harvesting easy
• Provide protection against frost, wind, excessive sunlight, hail
• Provide protection against weeds and pests
• Accelerate plant growth
• Provide optimal ventilation and temperature regulation

EXAMPLES OF TEXTILES USED IN AGRICULTURE

1 LANDSCAPE FABRIC

Landscape fabric is used for weed control, a central element in achieving low-maintenance
landscaping. Thermally spunbonded fabrics are said to be more effective than woven or needle
punched geotextiles in preventing fine roots and rhizomes from penetrating the fabric. While woven
fabrics are very strong, they offer many spaces for weeds to penetrate. Needle-punched fabrics have
loose threads of material that plants can easily grow through. As for thermally spunbonded fabrics,
these have fibers fixed in place, keeping roots from penetrating.
2 WIND PROTECTION FABRIC

Knitted windshield constructed from a commercial grade of U.V. stabilized yarn is often used to
protect crops & structures from wind damage. Air exhaust deflection fabrics are otherwise most
useful in odor control. These are often seen in swine and dairy house production. Wind protection
fabric is available in a variety of aesthetically pleasing colors so structures won’t by an eyesore on
the farm.
3 FROST COVER FABRICS

Different climates require varying levels of protection. Used primarily by professional growers for
the protection of plants and golf course greens & tee boxes, frost cover fabrics help protect
vegetation in wintertime, or from sudden drops in temperature during unseasonable weather, which
can cause extensive damage to landscaping and crops.

4 SHADE CLOTH

Keeping the sun from burning vegetation is critical in farming. Shade cloths, most often
manufactured from a commercial grade of U.V. stabilized yarn, offer the protection needed for more
sensitive plants and for several other cultures in very hot regions or times of the year. Specific
applications of shade cloths include shading ginseng, tropical ornamental plants, ferns, crops of all
sorts and even livestock.

5 POULTRY CURTAINS

Used more and more instead of traditional chicken wire to protect precious flocks of farm fowl,
poultry curtains offer light control, thermal protection and ventilation control, even at sub-freezing
temperatures.

6 DRAINAGE TEXTILES

Drainage textiles are instrumental in solving the problems created by surface water and poorly
drained soils. Geotextiles are mostly useful in drainage management for their filtration capabilities.
Simply put, the geotextile, which can consist of a woven or a nonwoven fabric, retains the soil while
water passes through the fabric and into the drainage collection system.
7 TEXTILE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS

Optimal moisture management can be achieved using specialized soil covering materials. These
fabrics, made from a multi-layer high performance textile, retain soil moisture, such as mulch, and
insure a most favorable contact between precious water resources and the plant's roots, thus
improving critical aspects of green house tree nursery production. Textile irrigation systems
currently being deployed generally have one layer that acts as a reservoir from which water is
distributed equally and continuously throughout its surface, as well as a layer made from a light, low-
density textile that prevents evaporation while transporting water to the pots through capillarity.

8 FLEXIBLE SILOS

Natural products such as grain, animal feed and food place very special demands with regard to
conservation on the farm. Flexible textile silos, made of active-breathing, dust-tight, very strong and
durable polyester fabric, guarantee constant grain quality and healthy livestock. Contrary to solid
silos, flexible silos will also limit condensation, which means that the formation of mould is
effectively prevented. Finally, the galvanized steel frame and the jacket and roof cover made of
PVC-coated polyester fabric, ensure the silos are weather-resistant.
9 SEALING SHEETS

Tanks for fluid products, whether it be water or liquid manure, usually have a bottom and resistant
side walls composed of juxtaposed prefabricated panels. To better contain fluids and effluents, some
of these are lined with special sealing sheets, or tank liners. Sealing sheets have proven to be a
successful and economical method of solving a large variety of liquid containment problems. They
are adaptable to nearly all shapes, sizes and types of tanks, and are resistant to a wide range of
chemicals, industrial effluents and other liquids. This urethane blend flexible membranes prevent
leakage from under the tank and avoid costly and/or contaminated fluids from escaping into the soil.

10 FLEXIBLE TANKS

Flexible tanks are ideal for storing and transporting liquids (drinking water, hydrocarbons, chemical
solutions, foodstuffs, industrial or agricultural waste, sludge, etc.) Manufactured using elastomer or
plastomer materials, depending on the application, and reinforced with a high strength fabric insert
(usually PVC), flexible tanks are a simple and economic solution for several farming applications,
thus replacing costly stainless-steel tanks, and expensive glass or lead linings.
11 AQUACULTURE LINERS

Liners are used in tanks or ponds, which house fish in order to provide a controlled environment: one
with clear water that can be treated to minimize disease and nuisance weeds. The material must not
emit any harmful chemicals. It must have excellent puncture and tear resistance, especially for
farming applications where it will have to hold up to harvesting and cleaning, or where the liner is
installed over a rocky surface. The liner must be fabricated and installed so that it is watertight-
preventing seepage can be a major cost savings. Reinforced polypropylene are often used for these
applications.

12 AGRICULTURAL BELTING

A conveyor belt consists of two end pulleys, with a continuous loop of material that rotates about
them. The pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the product on the belt forward. Conveyor belts
are extensively used to transport agricultural materials, such as grain, fodder and various farm
equipments. With a narrow window of opportunity when the crop must be harvested, timing is vital
in agriculture. As the crops are taken up from the fields and moved through various processing
stages, belting plays a key role. Harvesters use rugged PVC conveyer belt with interwoven carcass
and cleats of various heights and spacings.
13 TARPAULINS

A tarpaulin, or tarp, is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water resistant or waterproof material, usually
coated with plastic or latex. Tarps have multiple uses, including shelter from the elements (i.e. wind,
rain, or sunlight), use as a ground sheet for equipment, or covering for protecting vehicles or wood
piles. They are also used on outdoor market stalls to provide some protection from the weather.
Tarps often have reinforced grommets at the corners and along the sides to form attachment points
for rope.

14 ANTI-INSECT FABRIC

Anti-insect fabric is a closely woven U.V. stabilised monofilament polypropylene biomesh used for a
variety of applications. It has a strand density of 32 strands per square inch. This provides an average
opening between the strands of only half a millimetre. Sheets of biomesh may be used outdoors over
a simple framework to effectively guard against pests as small as .5 mm. It can also be used in
horticultural and agricultural structures covering ventilation openings to block out insects.
15 FLOWER AND VEGETABLE SUPPORT MESH

High strength polypropylene flower and vegetable support mesh provides crop row stability and
assists in preventing stem and bloom damage. Plastic netting can offer less stem abrasion than
traditional wire netting and is cost effective and easily disposed of. Distinctive mesh colour is
essential to make the netting highly visible amongst dense crop foliage for improved handling and
reduced accidental cuts.

16 INSULATION NETS

Near transparent knitted insulation nets are used in protecting crops from heavy rain, pests and frosts.
Their permeable construction allows air and moisture to travel through them at a reduced and
controlled rate.

Insulation nets are often used as a horizontal curtain within a structure to create an overhead thermal
barrier. They usually provide minimal shading to the crop for improved crop performance in duller
and cooler winter/spring months.

17 GREENHOUSE LIGHT REFLECTIVE FLOORING

This flooring cover option is manufactured from a heavy-duty commercial grade of U.V. stabilised
polypropylene. Its bright white colour provides excellent "available light" reflectivity from the floor
back into dense crop foliage. Greenhouse flooring will resist heavy foot traffic and wear from
greenhouse trolleys and is usually highly breathable in order to limit the likelihood of the covered
soil going "sour".
18 LIVESTOCK GROUND FABRIC

High-strength, long-lasting ground fabric is used to keep cattle and other agricultural animals off wet
and soft soil patches. Livestock fabrics are used for aggregate roads and paths and under feed lots, as
well as for the protection of livestock in stalls or holding areas in farming operations.

SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS OF AGROTEXTILES

(APPLICATION CONTEXT) ARE AS FOLLOWS:
• Sunscreens
• Bird protection net
• Plant net
• Ground cover
• Windshield
• Root ball nets
• Insect meshes
• Turf protection net
• Anti-hailstone nets
• Packing sacks and wrappers
• Fishing nets
• Cut grass collection bags
• Mulch mat
• Monofil nets
• Tape nets
• Cherry covers
• Nets for covering pallets
• Packing materials for agricultural products
• Animal Husbandry
• Horticulture
• Greenhouse light reflective flooring
• Crop covers
• Harvesting nets
• Hail protection
• Soil Covers or landscape Covers or Weed protection fabrics
• Shade Fabrics
• Insect Repellent Fabrics
• Temperature Controlled Fabrics
• Harvesting aids
 AGRO TEXTILES - FIBERS USED:
There is use of synthetics as well as natural fibers in agro textiles. Fibers used in agro
textiles are as follows: -
• Nylon
• Polyester
• Polyethylene
• Polyolefin
• Polypropylene
• Jute
• Wool
Among all these fibers the Polyolefin is extensively used whereas among natural jute and
wool is used it not only serve the purpose but also after some year it degrades and act as
the natural fertilizer.

GENERAL PROPERTY REQUIREMENT OF AGROTEXTILES:

The properties required for agro textiles are:-

• Weather resistance- It must work effectively in cold as well as hot climatic conditions

• 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.