Agriculture, horticulture and fishing

Agricultural Textiles
Beyond the current and large-scale applications, such as strings and ropes, packaging bags, or nets for harvesting, a very wide range of agricultural textiles with important technical features has been developed to both protect and aid crops (vegetables, horticulture, fruits, and vines), or to protect livestock.

The development of technical textiles used in the agricultural field makes it possible to respond to the following functions and requirements: Improving the conditions for crops Creating a microclimate favorable to a faster and more regular crop growth, and improving quality (through increased temperature, wind-breaking, protection against harsh climatic conditions or excessive solar radiation).

Texinov is a specialist in warp knits products; developed with INRA a solar heating screen, a textile reflecting the sun's radiation to increase the performance, quality and regularity of vines, and possibly other crops. In a completely natural way, this results in an increase in the degree of alcohol thanks to a particular weaving of fine aluminum plates protected by a transparent film.

This allows a multidirectional reflection of the light, and thus artificial solar heating.

 Protecting from predators (birds, game, insects) The physical protection offered by nets is just as effective as protection by some chemical agent but without any effect on the environment nor the agricultural products themselves. The French subsidiary of the one of the most important world producers of nonwovens, the American group BBA Fiberweb, produces in its factory in Alsace forcing covers spread on the ground to encourage crops, and is developing a new range intended for protection against insects.

 Allowing crop production without soil By growing crops on a constantly fertilized textile support. Supporting aquaculture For example in marine farms for shellfish, molluscs or fish.

The materials (woven, knits or nonwovens) are based primarily on polypropylene, polyethylene and polyester, while their formulations are adapted to various usage and durability. A new generation of materials with controlled bio degradation has been developed by using poly lactic acid fibres to complement the traditional usage of natural fibres such as jute or hemp

In addition to the basic characterization of textile materials for agricultural applications, specific tests have been developed in order to evaluate textile performances actually on site: resistance to wind, rain and other inclement weather, insulating capacity, light transmission, and resistance to ageing