Abstract
Soil-biodegradable plastic mulches (BDMs) are made from biodegradable materials that can be bio-based, synthetic, or a blend of these two types of polymers, which are designed to degrade in soil through microbial activities. The purpose of BDMs is to reduce agricultural plastic waste by replacing polyethylene (PE) mulch, which is not biodegradable. Most studies have evaluated the breakdown of BDMs within annual production systems, but knowledge of BDM breakdown in perennial systems is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate the deterioration and degradation of BDMs in a commercial red raspberry (Rubus ideaus L.) production system. Deterioration was low (≤11% percent soil exposure; PSE) for all mulches until October 2017 (five months after transplanting, MAT). By March 2018 (10 MAT), deterioration reached 91% for BDMs but remained low for PE mulch (4%). Mechanical strength also was lower for BDMs than PE mulch. In a soil burial test in the raspberry field, 91% of the BDM area remained after 18 months. In-soil BDM degradation was minimal, although the PSE was high. Since mulch is only applied once in a perennial crop production system, and the lifespan of the planting may be three or more years, it is worth exploring the long-term degradation of BDMs in perennial cropping systems across diverse environments.
Highlights
Agricultural plastic mulch, primarily made of polyethylene (PE), has been used widely in agriculture since the 1950s [1]
biodegradable plastic mulches (BDMs) deterioration continued to increase in March 2018, because field workers who trained the canes stepped on the mulch, and mulch that adhered to canes was lifted from the soil surface. These results indicate that BDM is more susceptible than PE mulch to damage from cropping practices, as well as weathering
The percent soil exposure (PSE) increased over time and mulch mechanical properties were lower for all BDMs than PE mulch, the BDMs used in this study did not have extensive visual degradation after 18 months of soil burial
Summary
Agricultural plastic mulch, primarily made of polyethylene (PE), has been used widely in agriculture since the 1950s [1]. Plastic mulch provides multiple benefits, such as suppressed weed growth, decreased use of herbicides, and increased water-use efficiency and crop yield. The mulch film market has an annual projected growth rate of 7.4% from 2018 to 2026 and an estimated value of ~4.3 billion US dollars in 2019 [2]. In China, PE mulch was applied to approximately 20 million ha of agricultural land in 2011 [3]. In North America, it was estimated that approximately 115,000 tons of PE mulch was used in 2016, and the estimated use in 2020 is 134,000 tons [4]. Most agricultural PE mulch is stockpiled on-site, landfilled, or burned, which creates environmental problems [1,9].
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