TOKYO, July 16 — A Japanese company has developed an agricultural fabric that selectively blocks heat-causing light while letting through the visible sunlight that plants need for photosynthesis, offering a potential tool for farmers grappling with rising temperatures. The fabric, called Solament AgriCool Shade, was developed by Sumitomo Metal Mining, a Japanese company. It is made using a material technology the firm calls Solament, which absorbs near-infrared light — the portion of sunlight responsible for much of the heat — while allowing visible light to pass through with little interference.
Conventional shade nets, widely used to protect crops from excessive heat, lower temperatures but also block visible light. That reduction in light limits photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert light into energy for growth, and can consequently affect yields.
The new fabric is designed to avoid that trade-off.
How the technology works
The Solament material absorbs near-infrared radiation, which accounts for a significant share of the heat energy in sunlight. Visible light, which drives photosynthesis, passes through the fabric almost unhindered. The result, according to Sumitomo Metal Mining, is a shade that reduces heat stress on plants without sacrificing the light essential for growth.
The company describes the development as part of its ongoing efforts to address agricultural challenges linked to climate change. No specific test results, yield data, or dates for commercial availability were provided in the source material.
Context and implications
Farmers in many parts of the world are facing hotter growing conditions. As temperatures rise, the window for planting certain crops narrows, and the risk of heat damage during critical growth stages increases. Shade structures are one of the few tools available to mitigate that risk, but their effectiveness has been constrained by the trade-off between cooling and light transmission.
Sumitomo Metal Mining’s approach, if it proves commercially viable and effective at scale, would offer a way around that constraint. The fabric could be deployed over fields, greenhouses, or nurseries.
The company has not disclosed whether the fabric has been tested on specific crops or in particular climates. It also has not provided a timeline for when the product might reach farmers.
What to watch next
The technology is noteworthy for its specificity: rather than blocking all sunlight or relying on energy-intensive cooling systems, it targets only the part of the spectrum that generates heat. That precision could make it a practical option for regions where both heat and sunlight are abundant. Whether the fabric can be produced at a cost that makes sense for farmers, and whether it holds up under field conditions over multiple seasons, remain open questions.
Sumitomo Metal Mining has not yet answered them publicly.
