An update on polyethylene and biodegradable plastic mulch films and their impact on the environment

Somanathan, Harshitha; Sathasivam, Ramaraj; Sivaram, Salini; Kumaresan, Sivaniraji Mariappan; Muthuraman, Meenakshi Sundaram; Park, Sang Un

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135839

Cited by 47 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…In agroecology, the principles of input reduction (petrol) and soil health lead to favor MT or NT and direct seeding into living cover crops or mulch. Another way to manage weeds is to use mulches (Daryanto et al 2018 , Somanathan et al 2022 ). Traditional mulches are bio-based; made of grass clippings, newspaper, compost, sawdust, dry leaves or bark clipping.…”

Section: Weed Management Tillage and Mulchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This was not the case for the conventional plastic mulch-associated bacterial community. Both conventional and biodegradable plastics were degraded, more or less rapidly, in smaller particles called microplastics (MPs) via biodegradation, photolysis and hydrolysis (Beltrán-Sanahuja et al 2021 , Somanathan et al 2022 ). Some recent studies revealed an effect of MPs on the abundance and the diversity of soil microbial communities.…”

Section: Weed Management Tillage and Mulchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Agroecological transition: towards a better understanding of the impact of ecology-based farming practices on soil microbial ecotoxicology

Vermeire,

Thiour-Mauprivez,

De Clerck

2024

FEMS Microbiology Ecology

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Alternative farming systems have developed since the beginning of industrial agriculture. Organic, biodynamic, conservation farming, agroecology and permaculture, all share a grounding in ecological concepts and a belief that farmers should work with nature rather than damage it. As ecology-based agricultures rely greatly on soil organisms to perform the functions necessary for agricultural production, it is thus important to evaluate the performance of these systems through the lens of soil organisms, especially soil microbes. They provide numerous services to plants, including growth promotion, nutrient supply, tolerance to environmental stresses and protection against pathogens. An overwhelming majority of studies confirm that ecology-based agricultures are beneficial for soil microorganisms. However, three practices were identified as posing potential ecotoxicological risks: the recycling of organic waste products, plastic mulching, and pest and disease management with biopesticides. The two first because they can be a source of contaminants; the third because of potential impacts on non-target microorganisms. Consequently, the development strategies to allow a safe recycling of the increasingly growing organic matter stocks produced in cities and factories, and the assessment of the ecotoxicological impact of biopesticides on non-target soil microorganisms, represent two challenges that ecology-based agricultural systems will have to face in the future.

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Section: Weed Management Tillage and Mulchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Weed Management Tillage and Mulchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agroecological transition: towards a better understanding of the impact of ecology-based farming practices on soil microbial ecotoxicology

Vermeire,

Thiour-Mauprivez,

De Clerck

2024

FEMS Microbiology Ecology

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“…Water conservation practices, such as plastic film mulching (PFM) and drip irrigation (DI), are widely adopted in agriculture. PFM is a crucial technological facet of agricultural production, imparting benefits such as enhanced crop yield via heightened soil temperature, retained soil moisture, and improved soil attributes ( Somanathan et al., 2022 ; Zhang et al., 2022b ). Empirical evidence establishes that PFM can potentially elevate crop yields by 20-50% ( Xiong and Wu, 2022 ), attributed to enhanced tillage quality and reduced soil water evaporation, thereby influencing soil hydrothermal dynamics ( Wen et al., 2023 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Film mulching counteracts the adverse effects of mild moisture deficiency, and improves the quality and yield of Cyperus esculentus. L grass and tuber in the oasis area of Tarim Basin

Ding,

Zhang,

et al. 2024

Front. Plant Sci.

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IntroductionPlastic film mulching (PFM) and deficit irrigation (DI) are vital water-saving approaches in arid agriculture. Cyperus esculentus is a significant crop in dry zones. However, scant data exists on the impacts of these water-saving methods on C. esculentus yield and quality.MethodUsing randomized block experiment design. Three irrigation strategies were tested: CK (standard irrigation), RW20 (20% water reduction), and RW40 (40% water reduction). Mulchin treatments included film mulching (FM) and no film mulching (NFM).ResultsResults revealed substantial effects of film mulching and drip irrigation on soil nutrients and physical properties, with minor influence on grass, root, and tuber stoichiometry. PF treatment, DI treatments, and their interaction significantly affected C. esculentus forage and tuber yields. Initially, grass and tuber yields increased and then decreased with reduced irrigation. The highest yields were under RW20 (3716.31 and 4758.19 kg/ha). FM increased grass and tuber yield by 17.99% and 8.46%, respectively, over NFM. The water reduction augmented the biomass distribuiton of the leaf and root, while reducing the tuber biomass in NFM. FM significantely impacted grass ether extract content, while reduced water influenced grass and tuber crude protein and tuber ether extract content. Mild water stress increased ether extract, crude protein, and soluble matter in grass and tubers, while excessive RW decreased them.ConclusionIntegrating soil traits, nutrients, yield, and quality, findings indicate C. esculentus yield and quality primarily hinge on soil water content, pond hydrogenase, and electrical conductivity. Based on this results, the recommended strategy is to reduce irrigation by 20% for cultivating C. esculentus in this area.

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“…Biodegradable plastic mulching films have been shown in many studies to provide advantages since they are designed to be tilled into the soil. − According to a review by Somanathan et al, several studies have shown that the biodegradable mulching film decomposes quickly, protects the soil from both biotic and abiotic factors, increases crop yield, does not need to be disposed of separately, adds nourishment to the soil, maintains the soil microorganisms, and does not pollute the soil . The biodegradable mulching film is transformed into CO 2 and biomass by activity of microorganisms and higher-order organisms such as worms .…”

Section: Introduction: Sources Magnitude and Fate Of Plastics In The ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…38−41 According to a review by Somanathan et al, several studies have shown that the biodegradable mulching film decomposes quickly, protects the soil from both biotic and abiotic factors, increases crop yield, does not need to be disposed of separately, adds nourishment to the soil, maintains the soil microorganisms, and does not pollute the soil. 42 The biodegradable mulching film is transformed into CO 2 and biomass by activity of microorganisms and higher-order organisms such as worms. 19 There is an international standard (EN-17033) designed specifically for biodegradable agricultural plastic mulching films in soil.…”

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confidence: 99%

A Review of Biodegradable Plastics: Chemistry, Applications, Properties, and Future Research Needs

et al. 2023

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Environmental concerns over waste plastics’ effect on the environment are leading to the creation of biodegradable plastics. Biodegradable plastics may serve as a promising approach to manage the issue of environmental accumulation of plastic waste in the ocean and soil. Biodegradable plastics are the type of polymers that can be degraded by microorganisms into small molecules (e.g., H2O, CO2, and CH4). However, there are misconceptions surrounding biodegradable plastics. For example, the term “biodegradable” on product labeling can be misconstrued by the public to imply that the product will degrade under any environmental conditions. Such misleading information leads to consumer encouragement of excessive consumption of certain goods and increased littering of products labeled as “biodegradable”. This review not only provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art biodegradable plastics but also clarifies the definitions and various terms associated with biodegradable plastics, including oxo-degradable plastics, enzyme-mediated plastics, and biodegradation agents. Analytical techniques and standard test methods to evaluate the biodegradability of polymeric materials in alignment with international standards are summarized. The review summarizes the properties and industrial applications of previously developed biodegradable plastics and then discusses how biomass-derived monomers can create new types of biodegradable polymers by utilizing their unique chemical properties from oxygen-containing functional groups. The terminology and methodologies covered in the paper provide a perspective on directions for the design of new biodegradable polymers that possess not only advanced performance for practical applications but also environmental benefits.

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An update on polyethylene and biodegradable plastic mulch films and their impact on the environment

Cited by 47 publications

References 77 publications

Agroecological transition: towards a better understanding of the impact of ecology-based farming practices on soil microbial ecotoxicology

Agroecological transition: towards a better understanding of the impact of ecology-based farming practices on soil microbial ecotoxicology

Film mulching counteracts the adverse effects of mild moisture deficiency, and improves the quality and yield of Cyperus esculentus. L grass and tuber in the oasis area of Tarim Basin

A Review of Biodegradable Plastics: Chemistry, Applications, Properties, and Future Research Needs

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