Researchers use 3D knit textile to increase strawberry yields

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a 3D knitted textile cover that increased harvestable strawberry yields by up to 3.56 times in field trials, while also offering potential benefits for reducing pesticide and water use. Called Plant Armor, the porous textile is placed over strawberry plants to form a physical barrier against insects while allowing sunlight, rain and airflow to reach the crops.

The textile’s three-dimensional structure successfully excluded aphids in laboratory tests and created a consistent warming effect during the growing season, helping plants accumulate heat and reach fruiting earlier. Researchers found that the cover did not negatively affect relative humidity, light availability or vegetative biomass, despite initially expecting its apparently opaque structure to limit light and favour leaf and stem growth over fruit production.

Plant Armor originated from NC State research into textile structures for military applications, including fabrics designed to improve the comfort of body armour and protect soldiers from mosquito bites. The latest study follows earlier work using 3D spacer fabrics as crop covers, which increased cabbage vegetative growth while preventing insect penetration.

Researchers said further on-farm trials across different crops, climates and geographical conditions are needed to assess the technology’s broader agricultural potential. The study was published in Agriculture on 24 September 2026, while the Plant Armor Gen 2 textile is patented by NC State University and licensed for commercial development.