Plastic mulch use in perennial fruit cropping systems – A review

Zhang, Huan; Miles, Carol A.; Gerdeman, Beverly S.; Griffin‐LaHue, Deirdre; DeVetter, Lisa W.

doi:10.1016/j.scienta.2021.109975

Cited by 43 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 91 publications

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“…The density of weedmat could also limit soil-water evaporation despite its semipermeable design. Higher soil moisture content likely contributed to reduced soil temperatures under weedmat, as increasing moisture content increases the specific heat of soil (Heitman et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2021). Other studies in Portugal and Washington found soil under PE and BDM had similar soil moisture levels in pumpkin and strawberry fields, respectively (Costa et al, 2014;Saglam et al, 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Soil-biodegradable mulch is an alternative to non-biodegradable plastic mulches in a strawberry-lettuce double-cropping system

Wang

Shrestha

Tymon

et al. 2022

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Double-cropping strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) could be a sustainable alternative practice for diversified specialty crop growers. Plastic mulch is beneficial for strawberry and lettuce production with soil-biodegradable mulch (BDM) providing opportunities to reduce plastic waste generation and costs of mulch disposal. The objective of this study was to compare non-biodegradable plastic mulches and BDM to bare ground cultivation in a strawberry–lettuce double-cropping system in a Mediterranean climate. A split-plot randomized complete block design experiment with mulch treatment [non-biodegradable polyethylene (PE) film, “weedmat” (woven, PE-based), BDM, and bare ground control] as the main factor and double-cropping rotation scheme (rotation 1 or 2) as the split-plot factor was conducted between 2020 and 2021. Strawberry yield was overall greatest when mulched with BDM, PE, and weedmat compared to the bare ground control. Total soluble solids (TSS), pH, and total titratable acidity (TA) of strawberry differed due to harvest date, but only pH differed due to mulch treatment. For lettuce canopy cover, rotation 2 had greater canopy cover (86%) compared with rotation 1 (66%) 30 days after transplanting. Average head weight (0.4 kg) and head length and diameter (both 20 cm) did not differ due to mulch or rotation. Average soil temperatures under PE and BDM were ~1.5°C higher than under weedmat and 2.5°C higher than the bare ground control. Soil under weedmat had the highest moisture content, whereas the PE, BDM, and bare ground treatments had similar levels. PE, BDM, and weedmat provided equivalent weed suppression, whereas the bare ground control had the most weeds. BDM deterioration estimated as percent soil exposure (PSE) was greatest (59% PSE) by the end of the experiment, whereas PE had 18% PSE and weedmat had no deterioration. Results show that despite high levels of deterioration, BDM performs similarly to PE in terms of soil temperature and moisture modification, weed suppression, and promotion of crop growth and yield in a double-cropped system. Double-cropping strawberry and lettuce is a promising alternative for growers to diversify their crop type and with potential economic benefits by increasing mulch lifespan.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Soil-biodegradable mulch is an alternative to non-biodegradable plastic mulches in a strawberry-lettuce double-cropping system

Wang

Shrestha

Tymon

et al. 2022

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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“…Most paper cannot prevent the decay and deterioration of goods by preventing grease, water, and oxygen transmission 2 . Therefore, plastic films such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are used to improve the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of paper 3 . However, most petroleum-based plastics are non-biodegradable, non-renewable, and have low recyclability 4 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cellulose nanofibers/polyvinyl alcohol blends as an efficient coating to improve the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of paper

Huang

Xi-yun

Meng³

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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The effect of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coating on the hydrophobic, oleophobic, and strength properties of paper were investigated. The results showed that the size of bamboo fibers (BFs) decreased significantly and the crystallinity increased significantly after biological enzyme treatment. The average length of CNFs obtained by high pressure homogenization was 2.4 µm, the diameter was 28.7 nm, and the crystallinity was 63.63%. When the coating weight of PVA/CNF was 2.0 g/m2 and the CNF dosage was increased from 0.0% to 3.0%, the paper grease resistance grade was increased from 7 to 9, the Cobb value was decreased from 22.68 ± 0.29 g/m2 to 18.37 ± 0.63 g/m2, the contact angle was increased from 67.82° to 93.56°, and the longitudinal and transverse tensile index were increased from 67.72 ± 0.21 N m/g and 37.63 ± 0.25 N m/g to 68.61 ± 0.55 N m/g and 40.71 ± 0.78 N m/g, respectively. When the CNF dosage was 3.0% and the coating weight of PVA/CNF was 4.0 g/m2, the grease resistance grade of the paper was 12, the Cobb value was 21.80 ± 0.39 g/m2, and the longitudinal and transverse tensile indices were 72.11 ± 0.43 N m/g and 42.58 ± 0.48 N m/g, respectively. In summary, the increase of CNFs can effectively improve the lipophobicity, hydrophobicity and tensile strength of the PVA coated paper.

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“…Polyethylene mulch should be able to withstand stretching that occurs during application and be compatible with mechanical hole-punching, transplanting, and/or seeding operations. The optimum type of mulch will also depend upon the time of the year that the mulch is used, crop type(s) grown, the field site's climate, design of the cropping system (i.e., multicropping/relay cropping), and any other on-farm management practices such as soil fumigation (Sanders et al, 1996;Zhang et al, 2021). Durability of polyethylene mulch is dependent upon all these factors and should be considered to ensure that the mulch film lasts throughout the growing season and meets the grower's production goals.…”

Section: Polyethylene Mulch Use In Specialty Cropping Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

End-of-Life Management Options for Agricultural Mulch Films in the United States—A Review

Madrid

Wortman

Hayes

et al. 2022

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Polyethylene plastic mulches are widely used in specialty cropping systems in the United States due to the horticultural benefits they provide. However, polyethylene mulch is reapplied seasonally, generating large volumes of plastic waste that contribute to plastic pollution concerns. This review synthesizes scientific and industry findings to provide a state of current end-of-life options of polyethylene mulch in the United States and identifies opportunities that can improve plastic waste management with a special emphasis on soil-biodegradable plastic mulches. Major points discussed are: (1) polyethylene mulch use in specialty cropping systems, (2) economic, environmental and waste management impacts of polyethylene mulch use, (3) current common end-of-life pathways of used polyethylene mulch, (4) use of soil-biodegradable plastic mulch as an alternative to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment and offset the negative impacts associated with residual non-degradable plastics, (5) socioeconomic factors that reduce the adoption of soil-biodegradable plastic mulch, and (6) limitations of soil-biodegradable mulch. The results of this review conclude that recycling and upcycling of used polyethylene mulch can be a more sustainable disposal option, however cleaning and decontaminating used polyethylene mulch is costly and commercial technology is often not accessible nor economically viable in many regions in the current economic and political situation. To make recycling a viable pathway in the future, research and policy developments are necessary to refine and encourage recycling. Soil-biodegradable plastic mulches can offer an additional opportunity to help address these limitations, but they are not permitted in organic agriculture in the United States. Further studies are necessary to address the current knowledge gaps and gain a better understanding of the factors influencing the degradation of soil-biodegradable mulches under diverse field conditions. Improved end-of-life strategies should continue to be pursued that balance sustainable use of plastic mulch while minimizing environmental risks.

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Plastic mulch use in perennial fruit cropping systems – A review

Cited by 43 publications

References 91 publications

Soil-biodegradable mulch is an alternative to non-biodegradable plastic mulches in a strawberry-lettuce double-cropping system

Soil-biodegradable mulch is an alternative to non-biodegradable plastic mulches in a strawberry-lettuce double-cropping system

Cellulose nanofibers/polyvinyl alcohol blends as an efficient coating to improve the hydrophobic and oleophobic properties of paper

End-of-Life Management Options for Agricultural Mulch Films in the United States—A Review

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