Plastic mulch

Blueberry plants growing through plastic mulch

Plastic mulch is a product used in plasticulture in a similar fashion to mulch, to suppress weeds and conserve water in crop production and landscaping. Certain plastic mulches also act as a barrier to keep methyl bromide, both a powerful fumigant and ozone depleter, in the soil. Crops grow through slits or holes in thin plastic sheeting. Plastic mulch is often used in conjunction with drip irrigation. Some research has been done using different colors of mulch to affect crop growth. Use of plastic mulch is predominant in large-scale vegetable growing, with millions of acres cultivated under plastic mulch worldwide each year.[1]

Disposal of plastic mulch is an environmental problem. Technologies exist to provide for the recycling of used/disposed plastic mulch into viable plastic resins for re-use in the plastics manufacturing industry.[2] However these methods are not very effective due to contamination by agrochemicals of the plastic.[3] Other concerns include residual microplastics in the soil which can have negative effects on soil ecologies, including microbes and earthworms.[3][4]

  1. ^ Bradney, Lauren; Wijesekara, Hasintha; Bolan, Nanthi S.; Kirkham, M. B. (2020). "Sources of Particulate Plastics in Terrestrial Ecosystems". Particulate Plastics in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments (1 ed.). CRC Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-367-51140-1.
  2. ^ Plastic mulch film recycling process Archived 2008-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Agricultural plastics recycling website, accessed 07.03.08
  3. ^ a b "Why food's plastic problem is bigger than we realise". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  4. ^ Nex, Sally (2021). How to garden the low carbon way: the steps you can take to help combat climate change (First American ed.). New York. ISBN 978-0-7440-2928-4. OCLC 1241100709.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)