The coir bhoovastra, as it is called, lacks authentic documented data concerning the efficacy of the product for application in such areas. KAU has identified four areas of application and research with coir bhoovastra.

The university would use the coir bhoovastra for regeneration of exposed rock patches. It will be used for soil and water conservation at varying slopes. Bhoovastra will also be used by the State's premier agriculture university for template planting and as a soil mulch. Besides, KAU would use the product for canal bank protection and assessing the bio-degradability of coir bhoovastra. These four collaborative research projects was formally launched at the Soil ConservationResearch Station in Konni recently by the Coir Board chairman Christy Fernandez and the vice-chancellor of KAU Syamasundaran Nair.

The growing awareness of protection and conservation of soil has led to the progressive use of geofabrics and membranes in civil engineering applications. The estimated world requirement of geotextiles by the turn of the century would be around 1400 million square metres. But the majority of geotextiles dominating the global market is geosynthetics. The share of geotextiles made out of natural fibres like coir, jute, sisal etc is less than five per cent.

According to the Board, the domestic demand of coir bhoovastra has been very low whereas the synthetic textiles has made some inroads into the high potential domestic market. Coir bhoovastra is being used in Europe, the US, Australia, South-East Asia etc for various civil engineering applications. The board feels there is a growing export potential for the product.

The Coir Board has undertaken various studies on the use ofcoir bhoovastra to prevent soil erosion in various parts of the country, which includes the slopes of Dehradoon, Gangtok in Sikkim, Nirjuli in Arunachal Pradesh, protection of railway cuttings in Kudal sector of Konkan Railway, protection of banks of Kerala SEB reservoir in Kakkayam, slopes of Kabini Canal in Karnataka among others.

According to the board, all the experiments conducted in different climatic conditions were successful and coir geotextiles were identified as the ideal material for preventing soil erosion in peak slopes and high velocity streams. Another area of experiment started by the board includes protection of mud walls in Kuttanad area (in Kerala) and to reclaim its water shed areas and making it suitable for cultivation of paddy using coir matting and bamboo poles.

The cost of the coir bhoovastra, its installation cost, its impact on the eco system and aesthetics contribute to the economic feasibility of the coir product. It is preferred over the other natural fibre geotextilesbecause of its comparative strength and resistance to water logging. Research and experiments have proved that it can withstand human and animal movement without deterioration and is resistant to saline water which gives it high longevity in coastal areas. It has the capacity to absorb even up to five times of its own weight. According to the Board the advantage of coir geotextiles is that it can be customised to specific requirements to suit the topographical conditions.