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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Potentials of synthetic biodegradable mulch for improved livelihoods on smallholder farmers: a systematic review
ClearEnvironmental fate and effects of mulch films on agricultural soil: A systematic review from application to residual impact
This systematic review examines how plastic mulch films used in agriculture break down over time and release microplastics into farm soil. The films improve crop growth but create lasting environmental damage as plastic fragments accumulate and alter soil properties. The findings underscore the importance of developing truly biodegradable alternatives to protect farmland from microplastic pollution.
Environmental fate and effects of mulch films on agricultural soil: A systematic review from application to residual impact
This systematic review traces the full lifecycle of plastic mulch films used in farming, from application to breakdown in soil. While these films boost crop yields, they leave behind persistent residues that fragment into microplastics, potentially contaminating soil and groundwater. The review highlights the need for biodegradable alternatives to reduce long-term microplastic accumulation in agricultural land.
Past, present, and future perspectives of biodegradable films for soil: A 30-year systematic review
This systematic review tracks 30 years of research on biodegradable films for agricultural soil use, analyzing trends and future directions. As concerns grow about conventional plastic mulch leaving microplastic residues in farmland, biodegradable alternatives are gaining attention. The review identifies which biodegradable materials show the most promise for replacing traditional plastic films while maintaining crop benefits.
The role of biodegradable plastic mulches in soil organic carbon cycling
This review examines the role of biodegradable plastic mulches in soil organic carbon cycling as an alternative to conventional polyethylene mulches, which shed microplastics into agricultural soils. Biodegradable mulches offer potential environmental benefits but their long-term soil impacts are still being studied.
A review of soil pollution from LDPE mulching films and the consequences of the substitute biodegradable plastic on soil health
This review examines how conventional plastic mulch films break down into micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soil, disrupting soil health, microbial communities, and plant growth. Researchers compare these effects with biodegradable plastic mulches, which are designed to decompose more safely. The study highlights that while biodegradable alternatives show promise, more research is needed to fully understand their long-term effects on soil ecosystems.
Improvement of crop and soil management practices through mulching for enhancement of soil fertility and environmental sustainability: A review
This review examined mulching practices in agriculture as a strategy for improving soil fertility, water retention, and crop yields, while also noting that plastic mulch films generate persistent microplastic contamination in agricultural soils. The authors discussed biodegradable mulch alternatives and best management practices for reducing plastic residues.
Soil Bioplastic Mulches for Agroecosystem Sustainability: A Comprehensive Review
This review comprehensively assesses biodegradable plastic mulches as sustainable alternatives to conventional petroleum-based films in agriculture, examining their soil degradation, effects on microorganisms, weed control efficacy, and soil property impacts.
From plastic mulching to microplastic pollution : An effect assessment of microplastics in the soil-plant system
This review assessed how plastic mulching films contribute to agricultural microplastic pollution, finding that biodegradable alternatives rarely fully degrade under field conditions and instead fragment into microplastics, with both LDPE and biodegradable microplastics producing measurable ecological effects in soil-plant systems.
Plastic Mulch Films in Arid Agroecosystems: A Systematic Review of Microplastic Generation, Transport, and Impacts
This systematic review looks at how plastic mulch films used in farming break down into microplastics that contaminate agricultural soil. These microplastics can alter soil structure, affect beneficial organisms, and potentially enter the food chain through crops grown in contaminated fields.
Biodegradable Mulch for Vegetable Production. A Review
This review examined biodegradable plastic mulches as alternatives to conventional polyethylene mulch films in vegetable production, summarizing yield benefits and degradation performance. Replacing conventional plastic mulch with truly biodegradable alternatives could reduce the large amounts of agricultural microplastics shed by mulch film fragmentation.
Agricultural mulch films as soil microplastic contamination factor
This review examines agricultural mulch films as a source of soil microplastic contamination, summarizing evidence on degradation rates, particle accumulation in soil profiles, and impacts on soil properties and biological communities over time.
iMulch: an investigation of the influence of polymers on a terrestrial ecosystem using the example of mulch films used in agriculture
This research project studied how plastic mulch films used in farming break down into microplastics in soil, comparing conventional polyethylene films with biodegradable alternatives. The findings show that both types of mulch release microplastic particles into agricultural soil, though they behave differently in the environment, raising questions about the true sustainability of biodegradable farm plastics.
On the quest for novel bio-degradable plastics for agricultural field mulching
This review examined the challenge of developing biodegradable plastic mulch materials suitable for agricultural use, noting that plasticulture consumes about 6.7 million tons of plastic annually, most of which cannot be practically recycled. The authors assessed candidate biodegradable polymers based on their degradation rates in soil, mechanical performance, and cost.
Plastic mulching in agriculture. Trading short-term agronomic benefits for long-term soil degradation?
This study examined plastic mulch use in agriculture, arguing that short-term crop benefits come with long-term costs as mulch fragments accumulate in soil as microplastics and disrupt soil structure, biology, and water dynamics.
Impact of plastic mulching as a major source of microplastics in agroecosystems
This review examines how plastic mulch films used in agriculture break down into microplastics over time, making farmland a major source of soil microplastic pollution. The accumulated microplastics can alter soil properties, affect plant growth, and be taken up by crops that humans eat. The study highlights the need for better end-of-life management of agricultural plastics and more research on how farm-sourced microplastics enter the food chain.
A review of applications, effects, and potential of mulching technology in agriculture
This review comprehensively examines mulching practices in agriculture — covering organic, synthetic, and living materials — and their effects on soil moisture, temperature, weed suppression, and crop yield. The authors highlight emerging biodegradable mulch alternatives as more sustainable options amid growing concerns about microplastic contamination from plastic mulch films.
Are biodegradable mulch films a sustainable solution to microplastic mulch film pollution? A biogeochemical perspective
This review asks whether biodegradable mulch films are truly a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic films used in agriculture. Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics may actually accumulate more readily in soil than traditional microplastics because they require specific conditions to fully break down. The study warns that biodegradable films could alter soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, microbial communities, and greenhouse gas emissions in ways not yet fully understood.
Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films: Impacts on Soil Microbial Communities and Ecosystem Functions
This review examines how biodegradable plastic mulch films affect soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions compared to conventional polyethylene mulches. Researchers found that while biodegradable films avoid the problem of permanent plastic accumulation, their breakdown products can still alter soil microbiomes and carbon cycling in ways that are not yet fully understood. The study highlights the need for long-term field research to determine whether biodegradable mulches are truly a sustainable alternative for agriculture.
A Comprehensive Review of Polyethylene and Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Films: Impacts on Soil Health and Plant Growth
This comprehensive review compares polyethylene and biodegradable plastic mulch films used in agriculture, examining their effects on soil properties, microplastic accumulation, plant growth, and the actual biodegradation performance of certified biodegradable alternatives under field conditions.
Microplastics in Agriculture- a Review
This review examines the growing presence of microplastics in agricultural environments, covering their sources from plastic mulch films and irrigation water, their effects on soil health and crop quality, and the implications for food safety and sustainable agriculture.
Is mulch film itself the primary source of meso- and microplastics in the mulching cultivated soil? A preliminary field study with econometric methods
A field study examined whether mulch films were the primary source of meso- and microplastics in mulched agricultural soils using econometric methods to compare plastic-mulched and non-mulched fields, finding that while mulch contributed to soil plastic loads, it was not the sole source. The study challenges the assumption that plastic mulch is always the dominant microplastic source in farmed soils.
Unravelling the ecological ramifications of biodegradable microplastics in soil environment: A systematic review
Researchers reviewed 85 studies on biodegradable microplastics in soil, finding that when biodegradable plastics fail to fully break down they can disrupt soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial life in ways that depend heavily on concentration and plastic type. The review highlights that "biodegradable" plastics are not a simple fix for microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.
Plastic Mulch Films in Arid Agroecosystems: A Systematic Review of Microplastic Generation, Transport, and Impacts
This systematic review examines how plastic mulch films used in farming break down into microplastics that contaminate agricultural soils in dry regions. While these films help crops grow by conserving water and suppressing weeds, their long-term use leaves persistent plastic pollution in the very soil used to grow food. This is particularly concerning because microplastics in agricultural soil can potentially enter the food chain.
Plastic Mulch Films in Agriculture: Their Use, Environmental Problems, Recycling and Alternatives
This review examines how plastic mulch films used in farming break down into microplastics and nanoplastics that contaminate soil, harm soil organisms, and can enter the human body through the food chain. While developed countries are making progress with recycling and biodegradable alternatives, the health effects of nanoplastics from agricultural plastic remain largely unknown. Better collection, recycling, and alternative materials are needed to reduce this growing source of plastic pollution.