Bioplastic and biofabric tested for cucumber production
Wednesday, June 22, 2016 - 11:31
in Earth & Climate
The use of polyethylene mulch is a common practice in vegetable production, but environmental issues related to the disposal of petroleum-based plastic mulches have producers looking for alternatives. To address environmental concerns, commercial vegetable growers are increasingly interested in using organic mulches derived from agricultural or urban byproducts and waste, paper-based mulches, and biodegradable plastic films and fabrics as alternatives. A new study comparing bioplastic films with biofabrics indicates that there is good potential for successfully using biofabric under certain growing conditions.