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Content

Title of the project

Multi-effect agrotextiles for sustainable agriculture

Envisaged Program for funding / other sources for funding

ERA-NET, EUREKA, MANUNET

Domain of interest

Textile, Agriculture

Abstract

(up to 500 words)

By achieved performances, agrotextiles represents an opportunity for farmers to successfully manage with the challenges both natural conditions and agricultural market demands.

The global climate changes recorded in recent years, growingly influence the agricultural production which is affected by harmful environmental factors (hail, heavy rain, solar radiation etc.). In the same time, these changes leads to proliferation of harmful species such as birds or insects, with negative effect on crops, as well. On the other hand, the continuous increase in population worldwide, stress on agricultural crops has increased, that is necessary to increase the yield and quality of agro-products. Consequentely, new protection systems with complementary characteristics are needed. The agrotextiles with high added value in terms of the existence of yarns with advanced characteristics and modern processing equipments using mathematical tools and computer engineering is an answer for sustainable agriculture.

The aim of the project is to design, develop and implement new types of agrotextiles with complementary properties: hail and shading or wind and heavy rain protection, by using different sortiments of yarns and textile structures, knitting technologies and finishing treatments which will contribute to obtain advanced characteristics regarding resistance at tear, strength, UV radiations, dirt, decay, masking etc. The objectives of the agricultural research will comprise: crop selection, land preparation, crop maintenance, effects tracking of protective systems using the quality of agricultural products (nutritional value, resistance to storage, durability etc.) and productivity indicators.

The project novelty will consist in: functional computer aided design of the knitted structures;  inderdependecies establishing between the geometrical, mechanical characteristics properties of the fabrics structures and characterizing parameters of the crops considered; structural characteristics correlation of the fabrics with the functional properties required by the application domain; multi-effect knitted agrotextiles with complementary functionalities, correlated with the type of protected crops and landform; variants of functionalised knitted nets via coating. The agrotextiles experimentation matrix programme will include characterizing indicators of the crops type, growing period, characteristic elements of climate and relief. The deveolped structures will be tested firstly on a small scale in the field and after that, based on the obtained evaluation data, there will be performed final experiments in real producing conditions.

Keywords (up to 5)

Textile, agriculture, weft knitting, knitted nets

Envisaged partners sought

SMEs: Knitting manufacturers (weft technology)

SMEs: Agriculture field

Research organisations: Agriculture field

Contact data

(Name/Surname, Organization, email)

Scarlat Razvan, INCDTP Bucharest, razvan.scarlat@certex.ro