WOLLO UNIVERSITY

KOMBOLCHA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF TEXTILE ENGINEERING

Project Final Thesis

Textiles for mulching and weed management

GROUP MEMBERS:

NAME: ID NO:

1) Alemu Getaneh ……………………………. WOUR/0199/08

2) Alemnew Tesfaw ………………………......WOUR/0195/08
3) Alemsew Eshetu………………………........WOUR/0196/08
4) Amare Abate………………………………. WOUR/0235/08

Advisor: Sajid Ahmed Qureshi

Submitted to school of Textile Engineering Department

Submission date 12/04/2013

 APPROVAL BY ADVISOR
To the best of our knowledge and as understood by the student in the Research Integrity and
Copyright Disclaimer, this thesis/project adheres to the provisions of guidelines, policies and
legislations of the Kombolcha Institute of Technology, Wollo University during their research
work and use of copyrighted material. The thesis is complete and can be presented to the thesis
evaluation committee.

Sajid Ahmed Qureshi

Name of Advisor Signature

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 APPROVAL BY EXAMINATION COMMITTEE
To the best of our knowledge and as understood by the students in the Research Integrity and
Copyright Disclaimer, this thesis adheres to the provisions of guidelines, policies and legislations
of the Kombolcha Institute of Technology, Wollo University during their work and use of
copyrighted material. The thesis is complete and is approved according to the Institute’s
regulation.

1. _____________________

2. _____________________

3. _____________________

4. _____________________

Committee Name Signature

ii
 DECLARATION
We here by certify that we are the sole author of this thesis and that no part of this thesis has
been published or submitted for publication. We certify that, to the best of our knowledge, our
thesis does not infringe upon anyone’s copyright nor violate any proprietary rights and that any
ideas, techniques, quotations, or any other material from the work of other people included in our
thesis, published or otherwise, are fully acknowledged in accordance with the standard
referencing practices. Furthermore, to the extent that we have included copyrighted material that
surpasses the bounds of fair dealing within the meaning of the Ethiopia Copyright Act. We
declare that this is a true copy of our thesis, including any final revisions, as approved our thesis
committee and the Graduate Studies office, and that this thesis has not been submitted for a
higher degree to any other University or Institution.

Name: Signature:

ALEMU GETANEH _______________________

AMARE ABATE ________________________

ALEMSEW ESHETU ________________________

ALEMNEW TESFAW ________________________

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 Acknowledgment
First of all, we would like to thank the Almighty God for helping us to come to an end of this

project. And we would like to thank our advisor Mr. Sajid Ahmed Qureshi to give his advices

and encouragement about this project. Beside our instructor we would like to thanks those people

who help us in different things by sharing their ideas and their material. We would finally like to

thank all those people who were directly or indirectly involved in making our project a success.

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 Abstract
Textile products are playing very vital role in agriculture for climatic condition and production
point of view. Agricultural textiles for its excellent environmental resistance, mechanical
properties, easy Process ability and environmental durability characteristics, can improve the
quantity and quality and safety of agricultural products, agriculture, resource security, agro-
ecological environmental security, the market competitiveness of products play an important
role, as well as the textile industry to achieve structural adjustment of the special priority to the
development of products. Textile fabrics in both woven and knitted constructions were used to
grow plants by covering the ground with the selected fabrics and planting lettuce. The plants
were also grown in open ground adjacent to ground covered by fabric. The fabric covered ground
showed good results and there was no weed growth on that ground and the growth rate was also
good. The growth of plants grown with both the fabrics and without the fabrics was compared.
The growth of unwanted weed was also observed and the covered ground showed comparatively
very good resistance to weed growth.

Keywords: fabric, woven, knitted, plants, agriculture, weed;

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 Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE .........................................................................................................................1
1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the study ....................................................................................................1
1.2 Statement of Problem ........................................................................................................3
1.3.1 General Objective .......................................................................................................4
1.3.2 Specific Objectives .....................................................................................................4
1.4 Benefits and Beneficiaries .................................................................................................4
1.4.1 Benefits ......................................................................................................................4
1.4.2 Beneficiaries ...............................................................................................................4
1.5 Scope of the study .............................................................................................................5
1.5.1 Limitations of the project ............................................................................................5
CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................6
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................6
2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................6
2.2 Agrotextiles .......................................................................................................................6
2.3 Need of Agrotextiles ..........................................................................................................8
2.4 Raw material used for manufacturing of agro textile products .......................................... 10
2.5 Agro textiles for production of crop ................................................................................. 10
2.6 Agrotextiles for animal husbandry ................................................................................... 16
2.7 Tensile strength & resistance to solar radiation: ............................................................... 16
2.8 Resistance to ultraviolet radiation: ................................................................................... 17
2.9 Abrasion resistance & biodegradability: .......................................................................... 18
CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................................................................. 20
3. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................ 20
3.1 Material and equipment ................................................................................................... 20
3.1.1 Material .................................................................................................................... 20
3.1.2 equipment ................................................................................................................. 20
3.1 Procedure ........................................................................................................................ 21
3.2 Methods .......................................................................................................................... 22
3.2.1 Literature review....................................................................................................... 22
3.2.2 textile mulch and land preparation ............................................................................ 22

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 3.2.3 Mulching and seedling the seeds ............................................................................... 27
CHAPTER FOUR ..................................................................................................................... 29
4.1 Comparison of results ...................................................................................................... 29
4.1.1 The result of plant with fabric cover and without fabric cover ....................................... 29
4.1.2 Result of plant growth covered by woven and knitted fabric ..................................... 31
4.1.3 Result of plant growth with woven fabric of different gsms ...................................... 31
4.1.4 Result of plant growth with knitted fabric of different gsms ...................................... 32
CHAPTER FIVE ...................................................................................................................... 33
5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDATION ......................................................................... 33
5.1 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 33
5.2 Recommendation................................................................................................................. 33
6. References............................................................................................................................. 34

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 List of Figures

Figure 1Ethiopian agriculture ......................................................................................................1

Figure 2 Indian agriculture ..........................................................................................................7
Figure 3 Sun screen ................................................................................................................... 11
Figure 4 Plant net ...................................................................................................................... 11
Figure 5 Windshield .................................................................................................................. 12
Figure 6 Root ball net ................................................................................................................ 12
Figure 7Anti-Insect Nets ........................................................................................................... 13
Figure 8Monofil nets ................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 9Shade Nets ................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 10Anti-Bird Nets.......................................................................................................... 15
Figure 11Agrotextiles for horticulture & floriculture ................................................................. 16
Figure 12Resistance to solar radiation ....................................................................................... 17
Figure 13 Resistance to ultraviolet radiation .............................................................................. 17
Figure 14 equipment ................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 15 preparing the land ...................................................................................................... 22
Figure 16 Checking fabric particulars ........................................................................................ 26
Figure 17 spread the prepared fabric .......................................................................................... 27
Figure 18 planting the seeds ...................................................................................................... 28
Figure 19 Growth of plants without fabric cover ....................................................................... 29
Figure 20 Growth of plants with fabric covering ....................................................................... 30
Figure 21 Growth of plants covered by woven and knitted fabric .............................................. 31
Figure 22 Growth of plants covered by woven fabrics of different gsms .................................... 31
Figure 23 summery of plant growth with and with fabric covering ............................................ 32

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 List of Tables

Table 1 Comparison of domestic and imported product price structure ...................................... 10

Table 2 GSM of the different fabrics ........................................................................................ 24
Table 3 the height of growth of plant with fabric and without fabric .......................................... 30

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 CHAPTER ONE

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
The history of conventional textiles in our country has its own culture and heritage, but consumer
textiles are becoming more and more competitive and facing tough competition. Many
companies producing conventional textiles have to continuously struggle to survive in a highly
competitive national market. [9].

Figure 1Ethiopian agriculture

In Ethiopia more than 80% population can be lead their life by means of agriculture so to
modernize and develop the productivity of agriculture textile fabric is important. Agriculture in
Ethiopia is the foundation of the country's economy, accounting for half of gross domestic
product (GDP), 83.9% of exports, and 80% of total employment. Ethiopia’s agriculture is
plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation [10] caused by overgrazing, deforestation, high
levels of taxation and poor infrastructure (making it difficult and expensive to get goods to
market). Textiles used in Agriculture are termed as agro-textiles. Agriculture is the backbone of
our country" went the saying so far. But do you know that textile can be the backbone of
agriculture? The word "agro‐ textiles" is now used to classify the woven, non‐woven and knitted
fabrics applied for agricultural and horticultural uses. The reduced usage of harmful pesticides

1
and herbicides render a healthy farming culture and is an eco‐friendly technique. Agro-textile is
a very much important segment of Technical Textile. 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. But it is not possible to meet fully with the traditionally
adopted ways of using pesticides and herbicides. Today, agriculture and horticulture has realized
the need of tomorrow and opting for various technologies to get higher overall yield, quality and
tasty 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. [4]. Agriculture is the largest industry in the world. Adopting the hi-
tech farming technique, where textile structures are used, could enhance quality and overall yield
of agro- products. Textile structures in various forms are used in shade house/ poly house, green
house and also in open fields to control environmental factors like, temperature, water and
humidity. It also avoids agro products damage from wind, rain and birds. Agro textiles like
sunscreen, bird net windshield, mulch mat, hail protection net, harvesting net, etc. can be used
for achieving the above goal. Crop protection and weed control are the major challenges faced by
the farmers in the agriculture industry. Textile industry is the second largest industry next to
agriculture. Agro textiles contribute 8% share in the technical textiles break up. The usage of
agro textiles will be benefited in terms of products with enhanced quality, higher yields fewer
damages and bearable losses. This paper emphasizes the application of agro textiles in various
areas of agriculture and horticulture [7].

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1.2 Statement of Problem
In Conventional agricultural system use high amounts of fertilizer for nitrogenizing the soil to
enable its moisture retention which increasing productivity and initiating the growth of plant, use
synthetic petroleum bi-product herbicides to remove weeds and it needs high amounts of
physical labor to remove weeds without using herbicides. The usage of fertilizers and herbicides
without precautions it reduced soil fertility, affect the quality and productivity of plants and it
consume high amount of labor force and also if using herbicide for removing weeds while
without water or rain falls for more than one week affect the growth of plant and soil fertility.

But textile mulching and weed management techniques increase productivity without the use of
fertilizer, remove weed without the use of herbicides and reduced the consumption of labor force
those reduced the cost fertilizer, herbicides and labor cost. In conventional agriculture system it
increases soil erosion because the soil cannot be protected at the surface by any method to
prevent soil erosion conventionally this leads to the surface water, rain directly fail to the soil
and flooded this affects soil erosion but by textile mulching and weed management techniques
cover the surface of the soil by textile fabrics to prevent soil erosion from surface water, rain and
folds.

In convectional agriculture system the plant can be affected easily by sun light ray and it reduced
the amount of water stay in soil but using ground covering technique withstand sun light rays
because the surface of the soil covers by textile fabrics and it increase the amount of water stay
in soil. In general, the advantages of textiles fabric used in agriculture Increase Crop Production,
Avoid the Soil from Drying Out, Decrease the Requirement of Fertilizers, And Water. They
Make Product Quality Better, Increase. Generally using our project, we solve the above
problems.

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1.3 Objectives

1.3.1 General Objective

Growth of plant by weaving and knitting fabrics using ground covering techniques
1.3.2 Specific Objectives

 Textile mulch and land preparation

 Mulching the land and seedling seeds
 Growing the plants and analysis the effects of fabric structure, fabric density and fabric
GSM

1.4 Benefits and Beneficiaries

1.4.1 Benefits

Ground covering techniques reduced the use of labor force, herbicides and fertilizer those
reduced the cost. And also it is effective to increase soil fertility, productivity and the growth rate
of the plant.

1.4.2 Beneficiaries

 For farmers

It Increase production because the fabrics withstand sun light rays, the surface of the soil covers
by textile fabrics and it increase the amount of water stay in soil those increase the growth of
plant. It Minimize the manpower because it removes weeds by using ground covering
techniques. It increases the economy of farmer by increase the rate of production and by
reduced the cost of herbicides, fertilizer and manpower. It Increase soil fertility and prevent soil
erosion.

 For the country

Increase our country economy by increasing the production rate of agriculture. It increases job
opportunity because the company produce high amount of fabric for using this purpose

 For Students

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Doing such kind of project can improve practical, theoretical, communication skill, team work

and helps for doing additional research on it .

 For Researchers

To solve and study the problem related to agriculture and initiated to find the way to increase the
rate of production.

 For the Community

To increase the economy and increase production using little area of lands. It used for aesthetics
purpose

1.5 Scope of the study

The scope of this project cover from preparing the land for planting up to the rate of production.
The result will be checked in comparison with the land covered by textile fabric and without
covering fabric. The result can be compared based on controlling of weed, growth rate of plant,
rate of production on linear density of fabric.

1.5.1 Limitations of the project

The rate of production is not reached at this time because due to shortage of time and weather
condition. In Ethiopia at this time the weather is not suitable for agriculture due to cold
temperature.

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 CHAPTER TWO

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
Textiles used in Agriculture are termed as Agro-Textiles. Agriculture is the backbone of our
country" went the saying so far. But do you know that textile can be the backbone of agriculture?
The word "Agro Textiles" is now used to classify the woven, nonwoven and knitted fabrics
applied for agricultural and horticultural uses. The reduced usage of harmful pesticides and
herbicides render a healthy farming culture and is an ecofriendly technique. Agro-textile is a
very much important segment of Technical Textile. 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 processing
sector has experienced expansion during last 5 decades, starting with a handful of facilities
which were mainly operating at domestic/cottage level. 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. Today, agriculture and horticulture has realized the need of tomorrow and opting
for various technologies to get higher overall yield, quality and tasty 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. [4]

2.2 Agrotextiles
Countries like India and China are becoming the largest producer of food in the world and holds
the potential of being the biggest on global food and agriculture canvas, according to a Corporate
Catalyst India (CCI) survey. Food processing industry is one of the largest in India – ranking 5th
in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth [10].

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 Figure 2 Indian agriculture
The food industry is projected to reach US$ 300 billion by 2015. Agriculture sector is vital for
the nation and is the principal source of livelihood for more than 58% of the population. Growth
of the agriculture and allied sectors is expected to be around 5.4 per cent during 2010-11,
according to the Economic Survey 2010-11. The word “Agrotextiles” now is used to classify the
woven, nonwoven and knitted fabrics applied for agricultural & horticultural uses covering
livestock protection, shading, weed and insect control, and extension of the growing season
including agri-produce packaging. Hence Agrotextiles are termed as "Farm to Fork" products.
Agrotextiles help to keep sufficient soil humidity and increase the soil temperature. Return ample
gauze weaves; for example, protect the harvests of fruits against the damage caused by the hail.
The Agrotextiles sector is one of the forerunners in this growth within technical textiles.
Agrotextiles are textiles used for their functional benefits in the agricultural field. With the
continuous increase in population worldwide stress on agricultural crop production has
increased. Hence it is necessary to increase the yield and quality of agro-products within the
current space and water constraints prevalent today. But it is not possible to meet this increased
demand completely with traditional methods such as use of pesticides and herbicides. The
agriculture and horticulture industries have realized the need to pursue various technologies to
get higher overall yield and better quality agro-products. The essential properties required in
agrotextiles are strength, elongation, stiffness, resistance to sunlight and resistance to toxic
environments. All these properties help with the growth and harvesting of crops and other

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foodstuffs. With growing diseases due to various chemicals in food, vegetables, etc. due
emphasis is laid on organic foods today. These are best achieved with controlled regulation of
water, sunlight, and composts, duly made effective by use of agrotextiles. Preliminary studies
have shown that by using woven of return gauze it is possible to increase the harvest of fruits in a
30% under favorable conditions of time and up to 50% under unfavorable conditions. The agro
textiles are also used to prevent the growth of injurious weeds to agriculture.

2.3 Need of Agrotextiles

 They prevent the soil from drying out and thereby increase crop yield. Also it enhances
freshness in fruits, vegetables and give farmers and consumers value for their money.
 They improve product quality
 Agro textiles protects farmer from harmful pesticides
 Thermal protection textiles are treated with ultraviolet ray stabilizers.
 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
Colour

Upon observing the industry there are various factors in play that have provided the motivation
behind conducting this benchmarking exercise and charting of a strategic plan to increase the use
of Agrotextiles.

1. Agricultural yield percentage is insufficient

The primary benefits of Agrotextiles revolve around enhancing yield and quality of agricultural
produce. Agricultural harvest is subject to great variance due to unpredictable rains and lack of
irrigation facilities as well as extreme climactic conditions, it is important to maximize
productivity of the sector to ensure sufficient food to feed the 1.25 billion people residing within
its borders. This is doubly important when you consider the fact that the per capita availability of
cultivable land has dropped from 0.36 hectare to 0.13 hectare [9].

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2. Prevention of negative environmental effects
Quite a few Agrotextile products help fight insects, weed growth, etc. that would normally be
addressed by using insecticides and pesticides. This helps reduce use of these chemicals and
helps prevent toxification of the soil and produce (in cases of overuse). Within such alternative
anti-insect/pest and anti-weed solutions, certain plastic films such as plastic mulch as well as
greenhouses have gained a foothold with farmers and agriculturists. These broadly provide the
same kind of benefits as comparable agrotextiles such as Mulch Mats and Shade Net Houses. In
either case the removal of plastic material from the soil is a tedious and costly process which is
required to prevent pollution of the soil. The case for using Agrotextile products viz-a-viz plastic
film has a lot to do with plastic mulch film requiring frequent replacement, and non-removal
means greater plastic material making the soil more toxic. Agrotextiles also have biodegradable
varieties and those made from natural fibres such as jute/coir that can be used without the
negative side effects.

3. Realization of economic & social benefits

Apart from direct monetary benefits there are several indirect benefits of Agrotextiles such as
reduction in water requirement for irrigation, export quality surplus produce that can add to the
plus side of import-export ledger, etc. Such indirect economic and social benefits are crucial for
the economy [9].

4. High cost of imports

Imported products are costly due to high duties but local manufacturers are unable to provide
certain sophisticated Agrotextiles or those with low usage. Therefore, such products are imported
adding to the overall product costing. Imported products are around 22-25% costlier than locally
manufactured products. Government provides subsidy on import duties on certain products but
still the duties are around 20-25%.

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 Table 1 Comparison of domestic and imported product price structure

2.4 Raw material used for manufacturing of agro textile products

The most important requirements of textiles for agricultural applications are weather resistance
and resistance to micro-organisms. Therefore, synthetic fibres are the choice of material for
designing of agro-textile products. Synthetic fibres like polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester,
nylon is widely used. Synthetic polymers in different forms like tape yarn, monofilament yarn
and multi-filament yarn are commonly in use for manufacturing sun screen, bird net, wind
shield, hail protection net, harvesting net, etc. Polypropylene polymer is extensively used for the
manufacturing of spun-bonded nonwoven for plant growing applications. High density/low
density polyethylene sheets are also used for the manufacturing of mulch mats. Natural fibres
like wool, jute, cotton is also used where the bio-degradability of the product is essential. Wool
fibres, in needle punched nonwoven form is used for the manufacturing of mulch mats. Jute is
extensively used as packing material for agro products. Natural polymer gives the advantage of
bio-degrading but has low service life compared to the synthetics [9].

2.5 Agro textiles for production of crop

The selection of Agro-textile product is depends on crop needs. Selection of the agro textiles is
also greatly influenced by the geographical location. Some of the applications of agro textiles are
as follows:

a)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[5] shown in Fig .

10
 Figure 3 Sun screen
b) 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[5].Shown in Fig .

Figure 4 Plant net

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c) Windshield:
Windshields are used in farming to protect fruit plantations from wind and to prevent damage to
plants. It also prevents plants being cooled by wind too.

Figure 5 Windshield
d) 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.

Figure 6 Root ball net

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e) Anti-Insect Nets
Various insects like whitefly, thrips, aphids, etc. attack some ornamental plants and vegetables
frequently. Insect Nets are clear, woven polyethylene monofilament meshes that protect plants
from insect attack (without the use of insecticides). Insect Nets can also be placed over the
openings of greenhouses to prevent pollinating insects, such as bumblebees, from escaping[7].

Figure 7Anti-Insect Nets

f) 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 [7]. Shown in Fig

Figure 8Monofil nets

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j) Cold and frost control fabrics:

Cold and frost fabric can be laid directly on the plants, unlike plastic covers that can attract frost,
and burn any leaf that touches them. These fabrics protect the plant from frost kill during
unexpected late cold snaps and unexpected early ones [5].

k) 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

l) 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 [5].

m) Shade Nets

Shade Nets are nets made of Polyethylene or Polypropylene thread with specialized UV
treatment having different shade percentages. These nets provide a partially controlled
environment by primarily reducing light intensity and effective heat during day time to crops
grown under it. This enables lengthening of the cultivation seasons and well as off-season
cultivation depending on the conditions and type of crop. Shade nets are typically used in
structures known as shade net houses which are frame structures made of materials such as GI
pipes, angle iron, wood or bamboo which are then covered with shade nets to provide the
benefits listed above[6].

Figure 9Shade Nets

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n) Anti-Bird Nets
Enormous fatalities are caused by birds in most of the crops. The crops like grapes, guava, and
pomegranate are harshly infected by parrots. From time to time the parrots can wipe out the
whole crop within hours. To keep away from such huge losses, bird protection nets are used.
Bird protection nets are produced from Polypropylene or High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
mono filament yarn. These yarns are ultra violet (UV) stabilized and knitted into a durable mesh
fabric. Knitted monofilament nets offer effective passive protection to 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 mould developing on the fruit [6].

Figure 10Anti-Bird Nets

Agrotextiles for horticulture & floriculture

Application of textile materials in horticulture is growing fast. Nets, nonwoven mats, movable
screens for glass/poly houses, nonwoven sheets, mixed bed for mushrooms, cordage and strings
are used in horticulture. Nets are also used for protection against hailstorms, intense sunrays, etc.
Nonwoven sheets are used in the field to protect young plants such as strawberries, potatoes and
lettuce from extreme cold weather, night frost and viruses.

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 Figure 11Agrotextiles for horticulture & floriculture

2.6 Agrotextiles for animal husbandry

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

properties required for agro-textile products

The essential properties required for agro-textile are

 Tensile strength
 Resistance to solar radiation
 Resistance to ultraviolet radiation
 Abrasion Resistance
 Stiffness, and bio-degradation and Resistance to toxic environment

2.7 Tensile strength & resistance to solar radiation:

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. The energy from the sun
is transmitted through the shade net to the plant, which is then used in photosynthetic processes.
The intensity of photo synthetically active radiations directly influences plant growth.
Agro‐textiles are laid over the cultivated areas immediately after sowing or planting. For such

16
application, agro textiles have to withstand solar radiation with varying surrounding temperatures
[4] as shown in Fig.

Figure 12Resistance to solar radiation

2.8 Resistance to 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 nonwoven (light permeability: 80 to 90% to allow
photosynthesis to take place) [4]. Shown in Fig.

Figure 13 Resistance to ultraviolet radiation

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2.9 Abrasion resistance & biodegradability:

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 [4].

Natural fibers like wool, jute, and cotton are also used where the biodegradability of product is
essential. Natural polymer gives the advantage of biodegradation but has low service life when
compared to the synthetics. [4] Shown in Fig

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 while nonwovens. H 2 O+O 2

Meant for the covering of plants show a mass per unit area of 15 to 60 gm/m 2 values between
100 and 500 g/m 2 2are reached with materials for use on embankments and slopes. IX

Protection Property

Protection from wind and creation of a micro climate between the ground and the nonwoven,
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. Agro textiles prevent the soil from
drying out thereby increasing the crop yield, and improving product quality. Such textiles protect
the farmer from harmful pesticides. Agro textile products like shade netting and thermal screens

18
enable a saving of 40% on energy used for heating greenhouses. Farmers have also found that
use of agro textiles brings about improvement in the quality of fruit, uniformity of color and
prevent staining. As we are not using pesticides and herbicides, pollution in environment will be
negligible [4]. Classification of Agrotextiles on the basis of areas of application:

a) Agrotextiles for crop production.

b) Agrotextiles for horticulture, floriculture and forestry.

c) Agrotextiles for animal husbandry and aqua culture.

d) Agrotextiles for agro engineering and packaging related applications.

Fabric weight or GSM:

Full form of GSM is grams per square meter (grams/m2). Fabric GSM represents its weight in
grams. GSM is a metric measurement unit of surface or areal density which is used for
measuring the thickness of sheet material. Fabric weight is measured in GSM

19
 CHAPTER 3

3. METHODOLOGY
Ground cover is a tremendously flexible landscaping and horticultural cloth 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,
keeps from UV rays and creates a fortunate environment for healthy plant growth. Ground
covers can reduce the costs and minimizes undesirable herbicide use.

3.1 Material and equipment

3.1.1 Material
Fabric it used for ground covering

Woven fabric (specification of the used fabric)

Knitted fabric (specification of the used fabric)

3.1.2 equipment
 Mattock it is used for pillowing the land
 shovel it is used for spreading and picking the soil for preparing the land
 scissor it used for cutting the fabric

Figure 14 equipment

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3.1 Procedure
Literature review

Prepare the land for planting

Purchase the fabric for planting

Measure the fabric

planting
Spread the measured fabric over the
planting area

Prepared hole on the spreading fabric by 8*8 cm

Planting the seeds

Compare of our result with conventional

system

Result analysis and discussion

21
3.2 Methods
3.2.1 Literature review
Our data collected byresearching different media like internet published and unpublished paper.
study of various, websites and literature for generating information on the agrotextiles.

3.2.2 textile mulch and land preparation

Prepare the land ready for plating the plants or seeds it can be prepared 6m length and 1m width
and this can be classified in to five equally parts. the first of two parts is covered by 100% cotton
weaving fabric, the second two parts is covered by100% cotton knitted fabrics, last one free from
covering the fabric. the lands are prepared as to improve soil fertility free from weeds herbs any
other plants.

Figure 15 preparing the land

Purchasing of the fabric

Purchased 100% cotton woven fabric 2*1.5 m2 and 100% cotton knitted fabrics 2*1.5 m2.

22
Measurement of fabric particulars:

GSM:
Full form of GSM is grams per square meter (grams/m2. The main requirement of GSM in our
project to analyze and differentiate the moisture absorbance of water, withstanding and resisting
of sun light ray, to differentiate the ability of fabric to remove weeds

Woven fabric 1 (white) GSM=157g/m2

Sample one=155g/m2
Sample two =160g/m2
Sample three=156g/m2

Take average to calculate white woven fabric GSM

(Sample one +sample two+ sample three)/3 = (155+160+156)/3=157g/m2

Woven fabric 2 (blue) GSM=126.3g/m2

Sample one=126g/m2
Sample two =127g/m2
Sample three=126g/m2

Take average to calculate blue woven fabric GSM

(Sample one +sample two+ sample three)/3= (126+127+126)/3=126.3g/m2

Knitted fabric 1 (black) GSM=157g/m2

Sample one=159g/m2
Sample two =156g/m2
Sample three=157g/m2
Take average to calculate black knitting fabric GSM
(Sample one +sample two+ samples three)/3= (155+160+156)/3=157.3g/m2

23
Knitted fabric 2 (red) GSM=126.3g/m2
Sample one=128g/m2
Sample two =124g/m2
Sample three=127g/m2

Take average to calculate red knitting fabric GSM

(Sample one +sample two+ samples three)/3= (155+160+156)/3=126.3g/m2

Sample No. Woven fabric 1 Woven fabric 2 Knitted fabric 1 Knitted fabric 2
(g/m2) (g/m2) (g/m2) (g/m2)

1 155 126 159 128

2 160 127 156 124
3 155 126 157 127

Average 157 126.3 157.3 126

Table 2 GSM of the different fabrics

Thread density (ends & picks per inch) and fabric weave:

Woven fabric 1 (white):

End/inch: 65
Picks/inch: 41
Fabric weave: Plain

Woven fabric 2 (blue):

Ends/inch: 70
Picks/inch: 40
Fabric weave: Plain

24
Count of yarns:

Woven fabric 1 (white):

Warp count in tex= (weight*1000m)/1gm*length (m)
Given Length =8m
Weight=0.31g
Warp count (Tex) = (0.31g*1000)/ (1g*8m) =38.75T

Weft count in tex= (weight*1000m)/1gm*length (m)

Given Length =8m
Weight=0.33g
Weft count (Tex) = (0.33g*1000)/(1g*8m) = 41.25T

Woven fabric 2 (blue):

Weft 25count in tex= (weight*1000m)/1gm*length (m)

Given Length =8m
Weight=0.25g
Weft count (Tex) = (0.25g*1000)/(1g*8m) =31.25T

Warp count in tex= (weight*1000m)/1gm*length(m)

Length =8m
Weight=0.24g
Warp count (Tex) = (0.24g*1000)/(1g*8m) =30T

Wales and courses per inch:

Knitted fabric 1 (black):
Wales per inch =50; Courses per inch=52;
Knitted fabric 2 (red):
Wales per inch=62; Courses per inch=52;

25
Figure 16 Checking fabric particulars

26
3.2.3 Mulching and seedling the seeds
It is spreading the fabric and fastening the edges with the soil, wood or stone to keep the
spreading fabric in place and Depending on the type of plant prepare the hole by cutting the
fabric 8cm adjacent to each other. The holes are prepared in rows and columns each have equal
intervals.

Figure 17 spread the prepared fabric

27
Planting the seeds
Prepare the seeds like lettuce and planting each at prepared lands

Figure 18 planting the seeds

Comparing of our result with the conventional system

Compare our results with conventional agriculture system when the plants start to grow and
reached the product.

28
 CHAPTER FOUR
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Comparison of results

4.1.1 The result of plant with fabric cover and without fabric cover
The land covered with fabric showed effective results than that without fabric cover, in weed
control and growth rate of plant. For the land which was covered by fabric, the weed could not
grow since the weed cannot gain proper sun light and other necessary nutrients essential for
weed growth. Due to this reason, even if the weed started to grow, it gets decomposed quickly
and easily. The rate of growth of the plants (lettuce) where the land was covered is much better
since the textile fabric absorbs and retains water as compared to land without covering fabric,
and the soil is not easily affected by sun light, which helps the soil to retain moisture for a longer
duration of time and this retained moisture helps in the faster germination and growth of the
plants. Moreover, the soil erosion in minimal in the case of land covered with fabric and thus the
displacement of soil and its constituent ingredients is very less, which is an advantage for a better
growth of the plants.

Figure 19 Growth of plants without fabric cover

29
 Figure 20 Growth of plants with fabric covering

Plant growth height (measured in cm) after 30 days

Plant Woven Woven Knitted Knitted Without
sample fabric 1 fabric 2 fabric 1 fabric 2 fabric
(157 g/m2) (126 g/m2) (157 g/m2) (126 g/m2) covering

1 7 6 5 5 1.2
2 8 6.5 5.5 5.3 2.2
3 6 7 6 6 2.1
4 6.5 6 6.3 5.4 2.5
5 7 7.5 5.8 5.5 1
6 6 7 5 5.8 2
7 7.5 5.5 5.7 4 1.5
8 5.5 6 6 5.2 1.8
9 7.5 7 5.2 4.8 2
10 8 8 5 5 1.3
Average 6.9cm 6.65cm 5.55cm 5.1cm 1.76cm

Table 3 the height of growth of plant with fabric and without fabric

30
4.1.2 Result of plant growth covered by woven and knitted fabric
Both the woven and knitting fabric are effective in weed control. But the rate growth of plant in
woven fabric is better than the knitting one. This result may be attributed to the fact the woven
fabric is more porous in nature and allows a better percolation of moisture into the soil and
allows better aeration of the soil as compared to knitted construction of similar gsm.

Figure 21 Growth of plants covered by woven and knitted fabric

4.1.3 Result of plant growth with woven fabric of different gsms

The woven fabric of higher gsm is better in weed control and rate of growth than that with lower
gsm. Because the absorbency of water and retaining of water in the land is better than the lower
gsm of fabric. The higher gsm fabric also withstands sun light due to which the retaining
capacity of moisture retaining by the soil for long duration becomes better.

Figure 22 Growth of plants covered by woven fabrics of different gsms

31
4.1.4 Result of plant growth with knitted fabric of different gsms
The woven fabric of higher gsm is better in weed control and rate of growth than that with lower
gsm. Because the absorbency of water and retaining of water in the land is better than the lower
gsm of fabric. The higher gsm fabric also withstands sun light due to which the retaining
capacity of moisture retaining by the soil for long duration becomes better.

Figure 23 Growth of plants covered by woven fabrics of different gsms

8
7
Growth height in cm

6
5
4
6.9 6.6
3
5.5 5.1
2
1 1.7
0
Woven fabric 1 Woven fabric 2 Knitted fabric 1 Knitted fabric 2 Without fabric

Figure 23 summery of plant growth with and with fabric covering

32
 CHAPTER FIVE

5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion
Textile fabrics are possible and plays a vital role for using mulching and weed management like
woven, knitting and non-woven fabrics are used but in our project use only woven and knitted
fabrics are used for mulching and weed management important for increasing growth rate of
plant without the use of fertilizer, removes weed without the use of herbicides, reduced the
consumption of labor force those reduced the cost of labor, herbicides, fertilizer and Reduced
soil erosion and increase the amount moisture content stay in soil.

From the study factors which affect the mulching and weed management efficiency are gsm of
the fabric, fabric type, the ground covered by the fabric and without cover by fabric. From those
factor the better way for mulching and weed management is the ground cover by the fabric is
better from without fabric covering the land. from the type of fabric woven fabric contains higher
gsm more preferable as compared to knitted fabric contain different gsm and woven fabric
contain lower gsm for increasing the growth rate of plant and avoiding soil from drying out and
controlling of weeds. in general, to conclude that covering the ground by textile fabric can be
used in place of conventional agricultural application the result shows increasing the growth rate
of plant, controlling of weeds, prevent the germinations of weed seeds, when establish it prevents
the ingress of perineal weeds, protecting from erosion and water loss this can be particularly
useful on steep slop it acts us an insulating cover for the soil keeping.

5.2 Recommendation
The project has shown that plants can be grown better with the covering technique by using
textile fabrics. We recommend this technique for most agricultural application in Ethiopia in
order to be profitable for increasing the rate of agricultural production by using a small area of
lands to achieve a higher production with saving of energy, labor, and cost. Generally we
recommend use woven fabric contain high gsm because more economical and effective as
compared to others.

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6. References

[1]. Tortora, Phyllis G.; Merkel, Robert S. (1996-01-10). Fairchild's Dictionary

of Textiles (7th ed.). New York: Fairchild Publications. p. 567. ISBN 9780870057076.

[2]. Techtextil: Application areas. Techtextil, Frankfurt: Trade fair for Technical Textiles and
Nonwovens] consulted 28 March 2015.

[3]. Resisto Protection Textil GmbH visited 21 August 2008 Archived 15 June 2009 at the Way
Back Machine.

[4]. International Journal of Advance Research in Science and Engineering

http://www.ijarse.com IJARSE, Vol. No.2, Issue No.7, July, 2013
ISSN-2319-8354(E)

[5]. Textile at Agriculture Application by: Hiren Jaiswal, Shyam barhanpurkar, Swati Chandak
& Neha Kabra.

[6] Technical Textiles – A Vision of Future By: D. GopalakrishnanSardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Institute of Textile Management, Coimbatore.

[7]. Agrotextile Products & Their Usage by: Mrs. Manisha A. Hira Scientist C Sasmira, Mumb
[8] Press Information Bureau, Govt of India. “Incentives to use Agro Textiles by Farmers”.
August 25, 2011.

[9]. Study on developing measures to promote the use of agrotextiles in India under the
technology mission on technical textiles (TMTT) December 2013.

[10]. PTI - Press Trust of India. “Technical textile market to touch Rs 1.58 lakh crore by FY
2017”, The Economic Times. August 3, 2012.

[11]. Matouš, P., Y. Todo, et al. (2013). "Roles of extension and ethno-religious networks in
acceptance of resource- conserving agriculture among Ethiopian farmers." International Journal
of Agricultural Sustainability 11(4): 301-316.

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