Articles
Growing greener: exploring soil-biodegradable and biobased mulch technologies for sustainable strawberry farming
Article number
1465_34
Pages
221 – 228
Language
English
Abstract
Plastic mulch films are widely used in strawberry production to suppress weeds and optimize the soil microclimate, but conventional polyethylene (PE) mulch contributes to plastic pollution due to limited disposal options.
Soil-biodegradable mulch (BDM) offers a promising alternative, with black and white-on-black formulations performing comparably to PE in yield and fruit quality.
However, green-colored BDMs degrade prematurely due to the lack of UV stabilizers, increasing weed pressure and reducing strawberry productivity.
Adoption of BDM is constrained by high cost perception, durability, fumigation incompatibility, and organic certification barriers as no commercially available BDM meets organic standards in North America.
Hydromulch, a sprayable, biobased alternative, shows potential for organic systems, with guar gum enhancing durability and yields matching or exceeding PE mulch in some trials.
Emerging biocomposites with cellulose and lignin further expand the emerging toolkit for reducing plastic waste while sustaining strawberry production.
Soil-biodegradable mulch (BDM) offers a promising alternative, with black and white-on-black formulations performing comparably to PE in yield and fruit quality.
However, green-colored BDMs degrade prematurely due to the lack of UV stabilizers, increasing weed pressure and reducing strawberry productivity.
Adoption of BDM is constrained by high cost perception, durability, fumigation incompatibility, and organic certification barriers as no commercially available BDM meets organic standards in North America.
Hydromulch, a sprayable, biobased alternative, shows potential for organic systems, with guar gum enhancing durability and yields matching or exceeding PE mulch in some trials.
Emerging biocomposites with cellulose and lignin further expand the emerging toolkit for reducing plastic waste while sustaining strawberry production.
Publication
Authors
L.W. DeVetter, N. Gull, B. Weiss, W. Ahmad, G. Gramig, D. Bajwa, A. Durado, S. Wortman, S. Agehara, H.F. Ghasemi, N. Boyd, E. Witt, M. Bolda, J. Mejia-Muñoz, A. Anousinh, S. Galinato, J. Goldberger, C. Miles, D.G. LaHue
Keywords
compostable mulch, microplastics, hydromulch, plasticulture, paper mulch, soil-biodegradable mulch
Groups involved
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Working Group Strawberry Culture and Management
- Division Sustaining Horticulture in a Changing World
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Plant Genetic Resources, Breeding and Biotechnology
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
Online Articles (64)