Assignment

On
Textiles in Agriculture (Agrotech)
SUBMITTED TO:

Md. Azharul Islam

Sr. Lecturer
DAFFODIL INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
SUBMITTED BY:

Md. Amir Khasru Parvez

ID: 113-23-2736
Section: B
Course Code: TE 4111
Course Title: Technical Textile

Daffodil International University

Department Of Textile Engineering
Faculty of Engineering

Date of Submission: 14-12-2014

INTRODUCTION
Agriculture is the backbone of our country. Textile fabrics have a long history of use in agro-tech
sectors to protect, gather and store products. Between the 18th century and the end of the 19th
century, agricultural development was occurred, which saw a massive and rapid increase in
agricultural productivity and vast improvements in farm technology.

Agrotextiles
Agriculture, forestry, horticulture, floriculture, fishing segments, landscape gardening, animal
husbandry, aquaculture & agro-engineering all these sectors combined together are popularly
called as Agro-tech sector. Agro textiles are the application of textile materials in those sectors.

Classification of Agrotextiles
Agro textiles can be classified according to areas of applications. These areas are broadly
identified as:
1. Agrotextiles for crop production.
2. Agrotextiles for horticulture, floriculture and forestry.
3. Agrotextiles for animal husbandry and aquaculture.
4. Agrotextiles for agro engineering related applications.

Fibers Used for AgroTextiles

Though manmade fibers (like poly-olefins) are preferred for agro-textiles than the natural fibers
mainly due to their favorable price performance ratio, manmade fibers have light weight with
high strength and long service life.
Natural fibers can be used in agro-textiles in some specific arena where characteristics like high
moisture retention, wet strength, and biodegradability are effectively exploited.Fibers used in
agro-tech sectors are as follows:

Nylon

Polyester

Polyethylene

Polyolefin

Polypropylene

Jute

Wool

Coir

Sisal

Flax

Hemp

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.

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. When used as an
outdoor material, polyethylene is treated with the appropriate UV stabilizers.

Bio degradability: The bio-degradability of product is essential where Natural fibers like
wool, jute, cotton can be used.

Abrasion Resistance: The abrasion to which a shade net is subjected may be of the
material itself or stray animals.

High potential to retain water: This is achieved by means of fiber materials which
allow taking in much water and by filling in super-absorbers.

Protection property: It must have the properties of protection from wind and creation of
a microclimate between the ground and the non-woven, which results in temperature and
humidity being balanced out.

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.

Techniques of producing agrotextile products

Different techniques are available for making agrotextile products and
each method offers specific advantages for particular product. The
techniques are weaving, knitting and nonwoven.

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.

Nonwovens
Nonwoven fabrics can be manufactured by various techniques such as needle punching, spun
bonding, thermal bonding, spun lacing, etc. Spun bonding and needle punching techniques are
widely used for the production of nonwoven agrotextiles.

Natural fibers in agrotextiles

Composition and properties of natural fibers

Table I and Table II show the chemical composition of major constituents and physical
properties of some natural fibers respectively, which are widely used in agrotextiles.

Application of natural fibers in agrotextiles

Use of jute
The efficacy of jute agrotextile has been established in the areas like:

Soil conservation and reduction of nutrient loss.

Nursery seed bed cover.

Shade over nursery.

Weed management & agro-mulching.

Afforestation in semi-arid zone.

Sleeves for growth of sapling.

Air layering and wrapping/covering of plants.

Area-wise applications of jute agrotextiles are given below: