Agriculture Business Week

The lowly saluyot will debut on the fashion ramp last December as a premium, earth-friendly fabric.

The Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) will unveil the new fabric during a national conference in celebration of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) International Year of Natural Fibers.

“We have weaved 80 percent polyester with 20 percent spinned saluyot fibers to make smooth fabrics; the mix can go as high as 40 percent saluyot that has been treated to make fiber,” says PTRI Director Carlos C. Tomboc. “To make an all-natural blend, saluyot may also be weaved with cotton and is ideal for curtains and drapes, beddings, table runners and linens as well as burlaps for nets, ropes and geotextiles against soil erosion.”

(more…)

The technology to commercially tap three nontraditional sources of natural fiber has been developed by the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI), an agency of the Department of Science and Technology headed by Dr. Carlos Tomboc.

The three sources are maguey, saluyot and water hyacinth better known locally as water lily. Products made of these natural fibers were showcased last Wednesday at the national conference on natural fibers held at a Makati hotel.

The products include materials for making barong, lady’s dresses, handbags, home decors, accessories and many other products made of fabric. The fibers can also be manufactured into nonwoven fabrics which have various applications in industry like insulating or sound-proofing materials in rooms and car interiors.

(more…)

Catarman, Northern Samar – Unknown to many, the abaca produced by the small farmers in Northern Samar and Leyte provinces are the best abaca fiber in the world and it has a good market, said a prominent businessman here.

Alex Tan, president of the Philippine Abaca Fiber Exporters Association, said the abaca fibers produced by the small farmers from the remote towns of Northern Samar and Leyte provinces have the best quality of abaca and it is known worldwide as the best abaca in the world.

The Bicol region is second only in terms of abaca production and quality of abaca fiber, Tan said.

Tan said he will be presenting the quality of the best abaca of Eastern Visayas during the international convention on fibers at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila come October 22 which will be attended by international businessmen.

(more…)

The stalks of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) are a viable natural source of alternative textile material, according to the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI).

Researchers at PTRI are studying water hyacinth fibers as raw material for the manufacture of clothing and home fabrics. Processing the fibers with polyester staples initially produced blended yarns with 20–35 percent water hyacinth component. The stalks went through a series of chemical and mechanical treatment to achieve the crimp property of wool for better processing, reduce the plant’s glue-like or gum content, and soften the fibers to make them fine and fit for knitting and weaving into apparel and other home textiles.

For a yarn count of 15 Ne suitable for apparels, blends of 80/20 and 65/35 of polyester/water hyacinth fibers were used. The same blends of polyester/water hyacinth fibers were used to get a yarn count of 10–12 Ne ideal for home textiles such as curtains, upholstery, table runners, napkins, bed cover, pillow case, and other items found at home.

(more…)

The banana plant has always been a source of fiber. Its shoots and leaves are commonly used in producing fiber, but its trunk usually goes to waste as it is difficult to extract fiber from it.

Well not anymore. With the multi-fiber tandem stripper, one could produce per hour about 1,000 kilograms of banana fiber from banana trunk.

Designed and fabricated by Engr. Hospicio Luarca Agustin Jr. of Midsayap, North Cotabato, this machine can also extract fibers from pineapple, ramie, kenaf, and other fibercrop at the same rate. That’s because it is spring-loaded so it can be adjusted according to the softness or hardness of the fiber crop, Agustin said.

(more…)

The Philippine Textile Research Institute(PTRI) has set to launch this year a new set of natural fabrics made from three fiber plants sources. This was announced by PTRI Director Carlos C. Tomboc during the Institute’s 42nd Anniversary last February 25 held at PTRI Building in Taguig City.

Dr. Tomboc identified the three fiber plants as saluyot, maguey, and water hyacinth which, when blended with polyester, were found suitable for making into fabrics. The resulting fabrics can be ideal for use in apparels and home textiles such as curtains, mats, furniture cover, and table linens, according to studies conducted by PTRI researchers.

Now on its product development stage, Dr. Tomboc said that PTRI is coming out this year with fabrics blended with saluyot, maguey, and water hyacinth for apparel use.

(more…)

The banana companies in Mindanao can make additional income from their banana stalks after harvest by processing them into fibers for the manufacture of paper. Normally, banana stalks are left to the elements to rot and be wasted after the fruits are harvested.

Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis and Rolyson B. Simpliciano, a biology professor of MMSU and her student, respectively, have found that the edible Pleurotus mushroom could be used to remove the lignin material from banana stalks and produce fibers for handmade paper making.

This could be considered a breakthrough since the banana industry produces voluminous amount of stalks that are normally considered waste. Moreover, their disposal is an added burden and entails additional operations cost.

(more…)

It is now possible to produce the disease-resistant abaca “Agbayanon” variety without using tissue culture.

The other method that can be used is clonal propagation wherein the new plants are produced outside the laboratory by using corm, according to tissue culture expert Michael Ibisate, who is also the research coordinator of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Sciences of the Aklan State University (ASU) in Banga, Aklan,

Corm is the rounded underground storage organ of abaca consisting of swollen stem base.

(more…)