Provided is an insect-repellant, fungicidal, fungistatic, bactericidal, bacteriostatic, and/or spoilage retardant composite material for preservation of crops including post-harvest crops, the material including a non-woven fabric and a microencapsulated essential oil embedded in the non-woven fabric wherein the water content of the material is less than 10% and wherein the material exerts an insect-repellant, a fungicidal, a fungistatic, a bactericidal, a bacteriostatic and/or a spoilage retardant effect on the crop.
