Current and emerging biodegradable mulch films based on polysaccharide bio-composites. A review

Abstract

Since the 1940s, the introduction of plastic technology caused a true revolution in agriculture. Among the uses of plastics, mulch films have been used to improve yields and crop traits. They are useful to increase air and soil temperatures, protect plants from several agents, improve water management, reduce the growth of weeds, and, consequently, to avoid high dependence on agrochemicals. The low-density polyethylene obtained from non-renewable resources has been mainly used for this purpose due to its mechanical and barrier properties, resistance to all forms of degradation, easy processing and low cost. Unfortunately, low-density polyethylene presents several economic and environmental drawbacks related to their low biodegradability, their removal after the crop cycle and their final disposal. Hence, there is a great interest in using biodegradable mulch films to provide greater agricultural sustainability. In this review, we interpret evidence about the potential of polysaccharide-based bio-composite mulch films as a possible replacement of traditional low-density polyethylene films as well as their commercial barriers and evolution of intellectual property rights. We identified that: (1) mulch films improve their mechanical properties through the formulation of multiphase materials, reaching international standards; (2) biodegradability of bio-composite mulch films can be adjusted according to crop season; (3) bio-composite mulch films provide high yields for different crops; and (4) they are promising for the management of pests and weeds. Due to these traits, biodegradable mulch films have reported a significant increase in the number of patent protections lately. However, to the present day the lack of knowledge about bio-composite mulch films and their high costs are the main commercial limitations to their adoption for crop production systems in the field. KeywordsAgriculture . Biodegradable mulch films . Polysaccharides . Composites . Intellectual property Abbreviations AL Alkaline kraft lignin BDM Biodegradable mulch film Bent Bentonine clay Bent-CS Chitosan-modified bentonine CRU Controlled-release urea ε Elongation at break (%) EU European Union EPS Exopolysaccharides IP Intellectual property * Matías Menossi

New Mater-Bi, Biodegradable Mulching Film for Strawberry (Fragaria × Ananassa Duch.): Effects on Film Duration, Crop Yields, Qualitative, and Nutraceutical Traits of Fruits

“…Disposal options of PE mulches include recycling, incineration while on farm burning, or onsite incorporation in the soil are forbidden practices which are still employed. However, recycling is becoming increasingly difficult because facilities tend to not accept black PE mulch that is contaminated with soil and agrochemicals [4,5]. Furthermore, plastic mulch requires expensive labor for removal and disposal.…”

“…Besides, alternative mulches should also not harm soil health and must be affordable. As demonstrated in the review of Menossi et al [5], studies evaluating polysaccharide-based multiphase materials for effectiveness of mechanical barrier as well as biodegradability properties are growing. One possible alternative to low-density polyethylene (LDPE) mulch is given by the certified in soil biodegradable mulch films, such as those produced by Novamont and commercially available under the trade name Mater-Bi ® .…”

A second life for fruit and vegetable waste: a review on bioplastic films and coatings for potential food protection applications

“…120 Interestingly, citrus peels, which are rich in cuticular waxes, EOs, and terpenes, provide peel waste-based films with high moisture barrier properties. 124 For example, films obtained by casting method based on mango peel presented a WVP of 0.88 × 10 −10 g m −1 s −1 Pa −1 , which is inferior to the permeability observed for materials prepared from other vegetable wastes, 125 but still superior to the one of PE (5.5 × 10 −13 g m −1 s −1 Pa −1 ), 126 for example.…”

Evaluation of the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of the polyvinyl alcohol-mulberry leaf extract blend film

“…Samples were tested in triplicates and results were expressed as an average of the percentage of MC of samples that was calculated using Eq. (1).…”

“…The industrial revolution has brought packaging materials to develop within the areas of edible, biodegradable, nanocomposite, active and intelligent packaging. [1][2][3][4][5] Flexible film packaging types describe any type of materials which is not rigid, but the term "flexible polymer" is often reserved for nonfibrous plastic polymers which are composed of molecular chains have long sequences of one or more species of atoms or groups of atoms linked to each other. [6,7] Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a synthetic polymer carries the predictable properties of hydrophilic, biodegradable, tasteless, odorless, good mechanical properties and high ability to form packaging films.…”