Design of a Completely Eco-friendly Mulch Foil for Agricultural Production

Mulching is an ancient technique for covering the topsoil used in agriculture and gardening practice. It protects the plants from low temperatures, moisture loss, insects and pests, soil erosion, and weed growth. At first, it included materials like stones, pebbles, wood chips, straws, or leaves, but during the 1950s, plastic (especially polyethylene) gained popularity and became the most commonly used material for mulching. According to FAO, 2.5 million tons of plastic mulch films are used in agricultural production annually. The lack of their recyclability and their decomposition in the fields during tillage and under UV irradiation leads to the accumulation of microplastics in soil. The United Nations Environment Programme calls for a solution to reduce soil microplastic levels, as it poses a serious risk of pollution and harm to the ecosystem and human health. This work aims to synthesize new biobased and biodegradable mulches using renewable resources to replace the currently used plastic films. To achieve this, different natural polymers and their combinations are tested. The mechanical properties, permeability, and degradation rates of the obtained mulch prototypes are studied. For the validation of mulch efficiency experiments on plants cultivated with the prototype films, plants with plastic films and control plants, are conducted. Tomato and radish are chosen as model plants to monitor their morphological and physiological characteristics during biological study. Soil analysis before and after planting will assess the impact of foils on soil quality and active microbial population. This innovation will enable the replacement of the existing plastic and bioplastic mulches with a completely eco-friendly solution.