1. STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR AGROTECH
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STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR AGROTECH
U. K. GANGOPADHYAY
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SASMIRA, MUMBAI
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

2. Agrotech Products
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Special textiles that are manufactured for agricultural applications
These textile structures are used as controlling environment for plants / animals in applications like
Agriculture
Horticulture
Animal husbandry
The agrotextile products for which standards exists:
Pond lining
Insect nets
Fishing nets
Leno bags for packaging
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

3. Agrotech Products
Agrotextile products for which standards are required:
Shade nets
Wind shield nets
Bird nets
Crop covers
Harvesting nets
Mulch mats
Anti-hailstone nets
Packing sacks and wrappers
Cut grass collection bags
Underlay fabrics
Udder support nets
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

4. Existing Status of Standards for Agrotech Products
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There is a lack of clear differentiation of Agrotextile products being used for the same application.
The nomenclature of these products did not exist Under Textiles.
Barring apart a few products, there did not exist any specification for these products, nationally as well as internationally.
There is a lack of guidelines for ideal set – up and processing of Agrotextile products as regards, raw material, machinery, process parameters, quality, cost, etc.
The Center of Excellence, Agrotech has addressed these problems.
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

5. COE Agrotech Initiatives
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A Committee for Formulation of standards for Agrotextiles comprising of industry, research and academia has been formed under recommendation of Ministry of Textiles to expedite the process of standardization for Agrotech products.
The objectives of this Committee are:
Studying the relevance of existing Indian standards for Agrotech products
Need for amendment of existing standards in the present context
Identifying the areas where standards for Agrotech products do not exist
Writing down standards and specifications for Agrotech products that need to be proposed.
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

6. Road Map for Standards
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A comprehensive process is being followed to derive at the draft standards.
The process followed is as under:
Collection of data for various Agrotextile products
Deliberation on the data collected with a draft of standard for the product specification at the meeting with Standards Committee for Agrotech
Revised draft as per the suggestions of the Committee
Wide Circulation of the draft to the manufacturers of the products across the country
Modification based on the feedback from the manufacturers.
Discussion of the modification with the Committee
Incorporation of the suggestions from the Committee and preparation of the final draft
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

7. Standards required for following products
EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF STANDARDS TO BE FORMULATED FOR AGROTEXTILE PRODUCTS UNDER BIS (Short Term Schedule)
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The Committee for Formulation of Standards for Agrotextiles started with glossary for Agrotextile products and has taken up formulation of standards for products where the Indian standards do not exist till date.
Sr. No.
Standards required for following products
Status 1
Glossary for Agrotextiles
Submitted and circulated 2
50 % shading Shade Nets
Submitted and completed wide circulation 3
75 % shading Shade Nets 4
90 % shading Shade Nets 5
100 gsm woven Ground covers
Discussed at the COE Agrotextile standards committee, to be ready by October, 2011 6
Ground covers 60 gsm Nonwoven
To be discussed, January, 2012 7
Knitted Bird Nets ½” mesh
To be discussed, April, 2012 8
Knitted Bird nets 1” mesh
To be discussed, July, 2012
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

8. EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF STANDARDS TO BE FORMULATED FOR AGROTEXTILE PRODUCTS UNDER BIS (Short Term Schedule)
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Knitted Bird Nets 1½” mesh
To be discussed, October, 2012 10
Knitted Bird Nets 2” mesh
To be discussed January, 2013 11
Knotted bird nets 1” mesh
To be discussed April, 2013 12
Knotted bird nets 2” mesh
To be discussed, July, 2013 13
Harvesting Nets for mechanised harvesting
To be discussed, October, 2013 14
Harvesting nets for manual harvesting
To be discussed, January, 2014 15
Nonwoven fruit protective covers
To be discussed, April, 2014 16
Nonwoven Crop covers
To be discussed, October, 2014 17
Knitted crop covers
To be discussed, January, 2015
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

9. Standards required for following products
EXISTING STANDARDS
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Sr. No.
Standards required for following products
Status 1
Insect nets
Existing in IS to be amended as per current requirement 2
Woven packing sacks 3
Leno bags for packaing 4
Vermicompost beds 5
Geo Jute mats 6
Fishing- nets - designation of netting yarns in the tex system 7
Fishing nets — netting — basic terms and definitions 8
Fishing Nets — Description And Designation Of Knotted Netting 9
Fishing nets – cutting knotted netting to shape (“tapering”) 10
Fishing nets - determination of breaking load and knot breaking load of netting yarns 11
Fishing nets — determination of mesh breaking force of netting 12
Jute Hortipots
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10. NOMENCLATURE FOR AGROTEXTILES SPECIFICATION FOR SHADE NETS
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DRAFTED STANDARDS FORWARDED TO BIS THROUGH OFFICE OF TEXTILE COMMISSIONER
NOMENCLATURE FOR AGROTEXTILES
SPECIFICATION FOR SHADE NETS
50 % SHADE NETS
75 % SHADE NETS
35 % SHADE NETS
SPECIFICATION FOR 100 GSM WOVEN GROUND COVER
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11. sasmira
Draft Indian Standard TEXTILES – NOMENCLATURE FOR AGROTEXTILES FOREWORD Agrotextiles are fabrics (woven, nonwoven or knitted) used in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and fishing. They can include fishnets, shades, ground covers, thermal screens and crop covers. Common uses for agrotextiles are protecting livestock, maintaining soil humidity and temperature, eliminating the impact of pests and general shading.
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

12. NOMENCLATURE PROPOSED FOR
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Agrotextiles
Bird protection net
Cherry covers
Drip Irrigation
Fishing Nets
Green/poly house
Ground covers
Hail Protection fabrics/ Snow shields
Harvesting nets
Horticulture
Insect nets
Knitted fabrics
Leno weave
Monofil Nets
Mulch mats
Nets for covering pallets
Nonwovens fabrics
Plant nets
Plastic mulch
Root ball net
Shade Nets
Tape nets
Turf protection net
Windshield
Woven fabrics
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13. Draft Indian Standard Specification
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Draft Indian Standard Specification
TEXTILES – SHADE NETS FOR AGRICULTURE APPLICATION – SPECIFICATION
FOREWORD
Sunlight is the natural variant which affects the growth of plants. Every plant shows optimum growth and yield under regulated exposure to light and heat. In order to protect fields and greenhouses from the intense solar radiation for healthy plant growth and good harvest, Shade nets with open mesh construction are used to control sunshine and amount of shade required. These shade nets are open mesh structure textiles used to cover the shade houses for regulating the sunlight exposure of plants inside. The mesh size of the nets is variable decides the shading percentage provided. Functionally, these net fabrics allow the air to flow freely. So that the excess heat does not built up under the screen. Also these nets provide benefits of reducing damage to crop from wind, conserve water by reducing evaporation and protection from birds, insects and excessive hail and rains. The selection of shade net depends upon the percentage of shading required for the crop being cultivated. Apart from application horticulture, floriculture, these nets also find usage in nurseries, vermiculture shed, cattle sheds, drying of agro products and also general purpose shading.
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

14. Sr. No Characteristic(s) Requirements Methods of Tests
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Table 1. Requirements of Shade nets from knitted Polyethylene 50 % Shading net Polyethylene Tape x Tape construction
Sr. No
Characteristic(s)
Requirements
Methods of Tests 1
Weight/square meter g
Minimum 90
IS 1964, ISO 7211/6 2
Tensile Strength N
250 – 350
ISO 13934, IS 1969 3
Bursting strength, kg/cm2
Minimum 5.5 IS 4
UV Accelerated exposure testing
Less than 2 %
Annex B
IS 1969 5
Light shading percentage
Annex C
ASTM D1003 6
Colour fastness to light
Minimum 4
IS 2454 – 2008
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15. Table 1. Requirements of Shade nets from knitted Polyethylene
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Table 1. Requirements of Shade nets from knitted Polyethylene
75 % Shading net Polyethylene Tape x Tape construction
Sr. No
Characteristic(s)
Requirements
Methods of Tests 1
Weight/square meter g
Minimum 120
IS 1964, ISO 7211/6 2
Tensile Strength N
ISO 13934, IS 1969 3
Bursting strength, kg/cm2
Minimum 6.0 IS 4
UV Accelerated exposure testing
Less than 2 %
Annex B
IS 1969 5
Light shading percentage
Annex C
ASTM D1003 6
Colour fastness to light
Minimum 4
IS 2454 – 2008
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

16. Sr. No Characteristic(s) Requirements Methods of Tests
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Table 1. Requirements of Shade nets from knitted Polyethylene
90 % Shading net Polyethylene Tape x Tape construction
Sr. No
Characteristic(s)
Requirements
Methods of Tests 1
Weight/square meter g
Minimum 150
IS 1964, ISO 7211/6 2
Tensile Strength N
Min. 500
ISO 13934, IS 1969 3
Bursting strength, kg/cm2
Minimum 8.0 IS 4
UV Accelerated exposure testing
Less than 2 %
Annex B
IS 1969 5
Light shading percentage
Annex C
ASTM D1003 6
Colour fastness to light
Minimum 4
IS 2454 – 2008
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

17. Draft Indian Standard Specification
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Draft Indian Standard Specification
TEXTILES – 100 gsm WOVEN GROUND COVERS FOR HORTICULTURE APPLICATION – SPECIFICATION
FOREWORD
Ground cover fabric is a durable and resilient fabric and is ideal product for creating artificial paving and weed free surfaces around crops in gardens, nurseries, farms and greenhouses. Ground cover is one of the most important Agrotextile products for promoting the growth of crops. It provides weed suppression and ground moisture conservation, whilst allowing roots to breathe and water, air and nutrients to permeate through. This maintains higher soil temperatures and promotes more rapid and even plant growth. It is a woven fabric of UV stabilized polypropylene tape yarns to survive through the effect of continuous exposure to sunlight.
National Seminar on Role of Standards in Promotion of Technical Textiles

18. sasmira
Table 1. Minimum Specification for 100 gsm Woven Ground Covers from PP/PE
Sr. No
Characteristic(s)
Requirements
Methods of Tests
Weight/square meter, g
100
IS 1964, ISO 7211/6
Thickness, mm
0.28
IS 7702, ISO &2
Tensile Strength (Grab), Kgf
Warp way
Weft way 65 35
ISO 13934, IS 1969
Tear strength woven, kgf 30 20
IS – 1 & 2
Air Permeability, cft/ft2/s
IS 11056, ISO 9237
Puncture Resistance, kgf
Index -
ISO 12236
UV Accelerated exposure testing, % Strength retained 70
IS 1969
Water permeability lt/sq.m/sec 7
IS 14324, ISO/CD 10776, 11058
Water vapor permeability, gm/m2/day
730
ISO 11092
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19. DRAFTS PREPARATION UNDER PROGRESS
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DRAFTS PREPARATION UNDER PROGRESS
KNITTED BIRD NETS
NONWOVEN GROUND COVERS
NONWOVEN CROP COVERS
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20. sasmira
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21. Standard Sub-Committee for Formulation of Agrotextile Standard
Dr. P. Chandra, CIAE, Kanpur, Member
Dr. M. Venkataraman, Garware Wall Ropes, Pune, Member
Shri K. Bhatia, Rishi Packers, Mumbai, Member
Shri R. Achari, Entremonde Polyecoaters Ltd, Mumbai, Member
Shri N. Bhojani, B & V Agro, Mumbai
Shri A. Agarwal, CTM Textiles, Ahemdabad, Member
Ms. Jyotika Agarwal, Ambica Polymers Pvt. Ltd., Member
Shri V. Kannan, Reliance Industries, Member
Shri F. Khan, Malmo Exim, Member
Shri Gurkanval Singh, NHM, Punjab State, Member
Shri R. K. Agarwal, NHM, Maharastra State, Member
Dr. R. G Patil,. NAU, Member
Dr. S. K. Basu, MANTRA, Member
Shri. U. K. Gangopadhyay, SASMIRA, Convener
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