Sustainable Development of UV-Protective Farmer Workwear Using Natural Indigo and Agro-Waste Derived Dyes

Abstract

Agricultural workers are routinely exposed to prolonged solar radiation, making ultraviolet (UV) protection an important requirement in workwear design. At the same time, conventional textile dyeing contributes substantially to environmental pollution due to the use of synthetic dyes and chemical auxiliaries. This study explores the development of sustainable farmer workwear using 100% cotton fabric dyed with natural indigo and agro-waste dye sources, namely onion peel and pomegranate peel. Alum was used as an eco-friendly mordant for the agro-waste dyed samples, while natural indigo dyeing was carried out through a chemical-free fermentation vat prepared with lime and henna. The dyed fabrics were evaluated for UV protection and color fastness to washing, perspiration, and rubbing. The UV protection results showed that indigo-dyed fabric exhibited the highest UV protection efficiency (88.00%), followed by onion peel (78.80%), pomegranate peel (65.50%), and the onion-pomegranate blend (58.02%). Color fastness results revealed superior overall performance for indigo-dyed fabric, with ratings largely between 4 and 5, indicating slight to no change. The study demonstrates that natural indigo and selected agro-waste dyes can be effectively used to produce functional and eco-friendly textiles for agricultural workers. Among the tested samples, natural indigo emerged as the most suitable dye source for protective farmer garments due to its superior UV resistance and better fastness behavior. These findings support the integration of sustainable dyeing methods into protective rural clothing development.

Introduction

Agricultural workers in developing countries are frequently exposed to harmful UV radiation during long working hours, increasing risks of skin damage and diseases. However, their clothing is usually chosen based on cost and practicality rather than protection. At the same time, synthetic textile dyes contribute to environmental pollution, motivating the use of sustainable natural dyes.

This study explores eco-friendly dyed cotton fabrics for agricultural workwear using natural indigo and agro-waste dyes such as onion peel and pomegranate peel. These materials contain bioactive compounds like flavonoids and tannins that can enhance UV protection. Cotton fabric was dyed using different extraction and mordanting methods, while indigo was applied through a fermentation-based vat dyeing process.

Results showed that natural indigo provided the highest UV protection (88%) and best color fastness, followed by onion peel (78.8%), pomegranate peel (65.5%), and their blend (58.02%). Indigo also performed best in durability tests such as washing, perspiration, and rubbing.

The study concludes that natural dyes, especially indigo and agro-waste extracts, can be effectively used to develop sustainable, UV-protective agricultural clothing. It also highlights environmental benefits through waste valorization and reduced dependence on synthetic chemicals, supporting circular economy principles.

Conclusion

This study has reached the development of sustainable agricultural working workwear on the basis of natural indigo and agro-waste dyes on cotton substrates and benchmarked their ultraviolet (UV) protection and color fastness. Every coloured sample had an apparent amount of UV protection, which supports the hope of natural dyes to be useful in practical textiles. However, natural indigo appeared unquestionably the best source of dyes combining the highest value of UV protection of 88.00% with superior color fastness. Onion peel which was one of the agro-waste varieties offered visual benefits like property protection through UV filtering, whereas pomegranate peel and the blended dye portrayed moderate results.. The discoveries suggest that the use of natural indigo-dyed cotton is highly appropriate in producing protective wear (in farming) especially where durability and protection against UV radiations is significant. Agro-waste dyes also do not lose their value due to their sustainability, proximity, and the ability to convert waste to usable final products. Together, this research paper introduces a strong model on how to combine the eco-friendly dyeing processes, workplace safety, and countryside textile innovation. Future research can continue this work by including UPF classification, longitudinal studies of laundering, wear and trial of wearer and optimizing shade depths and mordant mixings to gain greater performance measures.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Kalishwari K, Dr. J Banu Priya, Jeevitha P. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.