{"id":1925,"date":"2020-11-26T11:12:21","date_gmt":"2020-11-26T05:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shahi.co.in\/?p=1925"},"modified":"2020-11-26T11:12:21","modified_gmt":"2020-11-26T05:42:21","slug":"using-textile-waste-to-enhance-cotton-production-results-from-a-field-trial-with-hkrita","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shahi.co.in\/using-textile-waste-to-enhance-cotton-production-results-from-a-field-trial-with-hkrita\/","title":{"rendered":"Using textile waste to enhance cotton production: Results from a field trial with HKRITA"},"content":{"rendered":"
Shahi and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HRKITA) are collaborating to advance their shared goals of moving towards a circular economy and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the apparel supply chain. HKRITA\u2019s technologies successfully transform cellulose powder recovered from recycling cotton-polyester blends into a superabsorbent polymer (SAP). The application of this SAP in cotton production was tested in the field by Shahi. Initial results indicate that applying SAP on the cotton plants did improve water retention, especially under extreme water stress, and hence enhanced cotton yield and quality. A larger experiment in 2021 will be conducted to validate these findings.<\/h5>\n

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The challenge<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n

More than 80% of India\u2019s agriculture sector comprises of small and marginal farmers* who play a vital role in India\u2019s agriculture and rural economy. Small and marginal farmers, operating on less than two hectares of land, are reliant on traditional farming techniques such as rainfed farming, putting them at risk of water stress during critical growth stages of their crops. This ultimately leads to loss of yield and income, pushing Indian farmers towards a vicious cycle of poverty. Yet another challenge for the apparel supply chain is the large volumes of textile waste that is generated in manufacturing and not being recycled. One reason for this has been the challenge of separating blended materials. Solving both of these issues is critical to the long-term sustainability of the apparel industry.<\/p>\n

HKRITA\u2019s superabsorbent polymer (SAP)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

HKRITA has developed a hydrothermal separation technology to recycle cotton and polyester blend textiles. The hydrothermal process has been successful in recovering polyester fibers and converting cotton into cellulose powder, which is then used to make a superabsorbent polymer (SAP). Due to its inherent properties, SAP can retain soil moisture for longer periods and reduce water consumption in farming.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nntiSOjl1kE&feature=youtu.be<\/a><\/p>\n

(A short video on the production of cellulosic superabsorbent polymer (SAP) from post-consumer textile waste)<\/p>\n

A field experiment with SAP<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In early 2020, HKRITA and Shahi partnered to conduct an experiment to understand the effects of SAP facilitated cotton plantation under different irrigation systems. The study utilized observational data generated from a field experiment on yield performance and quality. The experiment was conducted in Bellary, Karnataka in a land area of 2,000 sq meters.<\/p>\n

The land was divided into four \u201creplications\u201d to test the impact of SAP in four different farming systems as shown in the illustration below:<\/p>\n