Living earth mulch knoxville tn1/11/2024 Soil-biodegradable plastic mulches are composed of biobased feedstocks derived from fossil fuels or a mix of both. As the name suggests, it is designed to be incorporated into the soil to decompose into carbon dioxide and water by microbial activity but looks and acts the same as polyethylene plastic mulch (Fig. Researchers are evaluating soil-biodegradable plastic mulch (BDM) to determine its viability as an alternative to conventional plastic mulch. Polyethylene mulch removed from the field. Meanwhile, the mulch film market size is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.8% during 2021-2026, so the problem is only getting worse unless science-based viable alternatives and strong policy interventions come into play (MarketsandMarkets, 2021).įigure 2. The sources of the other 60% include but are not limited to fumigation tarps, drip irrigation tape, row covers, plastic tunnels, silage bags, hay bale wraps, and nursery pots and trays (Kasirajan & Ngouajio, 2012). Plastic mulch itself makes up about 40% of the plastic films in agriculture. Despite the substantial benefits of plastic mulch, the environmental and agricultural sustainability challenges it has imposed are exceptionable. In other regions of the world, used plastic mulch cannot be recycled due to contamination with soil and crop debris and ends up in landfills, stockpiled, burned, or buried on the farm (Fig. The plastic mulch used in China was very thin and could not easily be removed from the field. However, due to the large amount of mulch residues left in the field after harvest, plastic mulch technology evolved from the ‘white revolution’ to ‘white pollution’ (Liu et al., 2014). Grain and cash crop yields in China also increased by more than 20% with the help of plastic mulch technology due to soil warming and moisture conservation effects. Plasticulture also brought the ‘white revolution’ to China when white polyethylene mulch substantially increased peanut production. Emmert at the University of Kentucky to replace more expensive glass (Kasirajan & Ngouajio, 2012). The history of plasticulture began when plastic was first used as a greenhouse film by Professor E.M. Plasticulture is the use of plastics in agriculture in the form of mulch, fumigation tarps, irrigation tubes, greenhouse films, and many more products (Fig. But now we must deal with the consequences of plastic pollution. Plastic revolutionized our daily lives and benefitted industries including agriculture by saving energy and creating lightweight and durable products with minimal material usage and low cost (Andrady and Neal, 2009). It takes hundreds of years for plastics to break down. Carol Miles, shared this in one of our meetings, and I realized it is true! The plastic waste we have generated every day for the past 70 years still exists on this earth either in its original form, recycled into another product, or gradually breaking down into microplastics. What happens to the plastics that we use? The most common answer: they get thrown away. student at Washington State University There is no away Author: Srijana Shrestha, Horticulture Ph.D.
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