Initial Experimental Experience with a Sprayable Biodegradable Polymer Membrane (SBPM) Technology in Cotton

Abstract

Preformed biodegradable and next generation sprayable biodegradable polymer membrane (SBPM) formulations, which biodegrade to non-harmful products (water, carbon dioxide and microbial biomass), have been introduced as an alternative to plastic mulch films in order to mitigate plastic pollution of the environment. In this preliminary field study on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), a novel SBPM technology was compared to preformed slotted oxo-degradable plastic (ODP) mulch film and no mulch control (CON) in terms of yield, crop water productivity (CWP), and soil temperature. The first results showed higher CWP and crop yield, and increased soil water content under the SBPM cover. This study indicates that SBPM technology could perform at similar level as ODP or comparable films under field conditions and, at the same time, provide environmentally sustainable agricultural cropping practices. Additionally, the fully treated, non-replicated SBPM plot had a wetter soil profile throughout the entire crop season. This innovative technology has shown a high potential even at this early stage of development, indicating that advances in formulation and further testing can lead to significant improvements and thus increased use in crop production systems.

Biobased Sprayable Mulch Films Suppressed Annual Weeds in Vegetable Crops

“…Braunack et al (2021) found that BSM films increased the soil water content but did not affect tomato or watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) yield when compared with bare soil or plastic mulch film. Similarly, Braunack et al (2020b) reported no difference in cotton yield when comparing BSM films to bare soil and a solid plastic mulch film.…”

“…Common challenges and limitations of these BSM films have included premature degradation, shrinking, drying, cracking, infiltration, or wicking into soil pore space, as well as insufficient weed suppression (Adhikari et al 2019;Braunack et al 2020a;Giaccone et al 2018;Immirzi et al 2009;Russo 1993;Shen and Zheng 2017). However, observed benefits of BSM films have included significant weed suppression (Braunack et al 2020a;Claramunt et al 2020;Giaccone et al 2018;Shen and Zheng 2017;Warnick et al 2006), increased soil moisture (Adhikari et al 2019;Braunack et al 2020a) and temperature (Braunack et al 2021), and crop yield and plant growth comparable to polyethylene plastic mulch film or bare soil (Braunack et al 2020b(Braunack et al , 2021Immirzi et al 2009;Shen and Zheng 2017).…”

In‐field evaporative protection for dryland wheat and lentil crops using polymers

“…For this reason, SBPM may provide a more environmentally safe means of applying plastic mulch within intensive and broadacre settings (Braunack, Adhikari, et al, 2020;Johnston et al, 2020).…”

“…These concerns have renewed interest in developing effective, biodegradable and photodegradable mulches, as an alternative to early products developed in the 1970s and 1980s which were expensive and unpredictable in their breakdown. More recently, natural products such as sprayable biodegradable polymer membranes (SBPM) are being developed (Braunack, Adhikari, et al, 2020), but still require validation at a commercial scale.…”

Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Plastic Mulch Films on Soil Nutrient, Yields and Soil Microbiome in Three Vegetable Fields

“…A common practice of improving fruit and vegetable production is agricultural plastic mulching, which can modify soil temperatures [1], conserve moisture [2], reduce weed pressure [3] and increase yields [4][5][6]. Polyethylene mulch films (PEMs) are usually used in agriculture because of the low price and high durability, but the main drawback of PEMs is that it is non-degradable, and which has caused plastic film pollution and affected the planting environment [7][8][9].…”