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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to The Effects of Biodegradable Mulch Film on the Growth, Yield, and Water Use Efficiency of Cotton and Maize in an Arid Region
ClearThe effects of biodegradable mulch film on the growth, yield, and water use efficiency of cotton and maize in an arid region
Researchers compared biodegradable and conventional plastic mulch films in Chinese agriculture, finding that biodegradable films improved water use efficiency and crop yield comparably to conventional plastic while reducing long-term plastic accumulation in soil. Degradable mulch films represent a promising strategy to reduce agricultural microplastic pollution.
Effects of Biodegradable Film and Polyethylene Film Residues on Soil Moisture and Maize Productivity in Dryland
Researchers found that biodegradable agricultural films are a viable alternative to conventional polyethylene mulch films, with higher degradation rates and less impact on soil moisture and maize root growth, ultimately improving grain yield and water use efficiency over a two-year field experiment.
Impact of long-term conventional and biodegradable film mulching on microplastic abundance and soil organic carbon in a cotton field
Researchers compared microplastic accumulation in topsoil after years of conventional polyethylene versus biodegradable film mulching in Chinese cotton fields. Despite biodegradable films being designed to break down, soils under biodegradable mulching had comparable microplastic counts to conventional mulching after multiple seasons, raising questions about whether bioplastic mulches truly reduce field microplastic pollution.
Testing Biodegradable Films as Alternatives to Plastic-Film Mulching for Enhancing the Yield and Economic Benefits of Processed Tomato in Xinjiang Region
Biodegradable mulch films were tested against conventional plastic mulch in processed tomato fields in Xinjiang, China, with results showing comparable yields while substantially reducing plastic residue accumulation in soil.
Dry Direct-Seeded Rice Yield and Water Use Efficiency as Affected by Biodegradable Film Mulching in the Northeastern Region of China
This study evaluated dry direct-seeded rice yield and water use efficiency under biodegradable film mulching compared to conventional polyethylene mulch in a rain-fed agricultural context. Biodegradable films showed comparable agronomic performance to PE films while offering environmental benefits through reduced plastic persistence in soil.
Effects of Different Mulch Types on Farmland Soil Moisture in an Artificial Oasis Area
Not relevant to microplastics — this study compares how different mulch materials (including conventional polyethylene plastic films) affect soil moisture retention in an arid farming region of China, focusing on water management rather than plastic fragmentation or microplastic contamination.
Degradable film mulching increases soil carbon sequestration in major Chinese dryland agroecosystems
Researchers compared biodegradable and conventional plastic film mulches used in farming and found that biodegradable films increased carbon storage in soil while traditional plastic mulch reduced it, suggesting that switching to biodegradable alternatives could help fight climate change while cutting plastic pollution.
The persistently breaking trade-offs of three-decade plastic film mulching: Microplastic pollution, soil degradation and reduced cotton yield
A study of cotton fields in northwest China with 3-32 years of continuous plastic mulch use found that microplastic abundance in soil increased exponentially with mulching duration, while soil physical properties degraded and cotton root traits and yields declined in heavily mulched plots. The results challenge the assumed economic trade-off of plastic mulching, suggesting decades of cumulative MP pollution eventually costs more in yield than it provides in early-season benefits.
Effects of Mulching on Maize Yield and Evapotranspiration in the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China
This study examined how plastic film mulching affects maize yield and water use in northwest China's Heihe River Basin, finding that mulching increases yields and reduces evaporation. However, widespread plastic mulch use is also a major source of microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.
Impact of long-term conventional and biodegradable film mulching on microplastic abundance, soil structure and organic carbon in a cotton field
Researchers compared microplastic levels in cotton fields after 23 years of plastic film mulching and found that switching to biodegradable film actually produced more total microplastics than continuing with conventional polyethylene film. The biodegradable film broke down into many small particles that also reduced beneficial soil microbes and dissolved organic carbon. This challenges the idea that biodegradable agricultural films are a simple solution to farmland plastic pollution.
Effects of small ridge and furrow mulching degradable film on dry direct seeded rice
Researchers tested biodegradable mulch films in micro-ridge-furrow planting (raised beds with channels) for dry-seeded rice in semiarid China, finding that biodegradable film outperformed traditional plastic film in soil temperature, plant growth, and grain yield. This method reduces plastic pollution in agricultural fields while maintaining or improving crop productivity.
Biodegradable film: a sustainable alternative to polyethylene film for Loess Plateau maize production
Scientists tested biodegradable plastic films instead of regular plastic films to cover soil when growing corn in China. The biodegradable films worked almost as well as regular plastic films for improving crop growth and water efficiency, while being better for the environment since they break down naturally instead of leaving harmful plastic pieces in soil. This matters because it shows farmers can reduce plastic pollution in our food system without hurting crop production.
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.
Responses of cotton growth, physiology, and soil properties to polyethylene microplastics in arid areas
A field study in the arid Xinjiang region of China investigated how polyethylene microplastics from plastic mulch films affect cotton plant growth, soil chemistry, and microbial communities. At higher concentrations, microplastics reduced cotton germination rates, altered root structure, and changed the soil's microbial makeup and enzyme activity, suggesting negative effects on soil health and crop productivity. Given that plastic film mulching is widespread in Chinese agriculture — and generates enormous quantities of residual microplastics — these findings raise concerns about long-term soil degradation in farming regions.
Effects of different mulch materials on the photosynthetic characteristics, yield, and soil water use efficiency of wheat in Loess tableland
Not relevant to microplastics — this agricultural study compares different mulching materials (including plastic film) on wheat yield and water use efficiency in the Loess Plateau of China, with no focus on microplastic pollution from plastic mulch.
Impact of Management Strategies on Reducing of Mulching Film Residues Pollution in Arid Regions
Researchers examined the impact of different management strategies — including increased polyethylene film recycling rates and adoption of biodegradable mulch films — on reducing mulching film residue pollution in arid agricultural regions. The study found that combining recycling incentives with biodegradable film adoption significantly reduced soil plastic accumulation, supporting sustainable agricultural development in water-limited dryland farming systems.
Feasibility Study on the Application of Biodegradable Plastic Film in Farmland Soil in Southern Xinjiang, China—Planting Tomatoes as an Example
This study assessed whether biodegradable PBAT mulch film could replace conventional polyethylene film in tomato farming in southern Xinjiang, China, finding that PBAT supported comparable crop growth while beginning to degrade in the soil. However, the work raises a relevant consideration for microplastic research: as biodegradable films fragment before fully mineralising, they may generate microplastic-like particles that warrant further study in agricultural soils.
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.
A Comparative Plant Growth Study of a Sprayable, Degradable Polyester–Urethane–Urea Mulch and Two Commercial Plastic Mulches
Researchers compared a new biodegradable sprayable mulch film with conventional polyethylene mulches in a greenhouse tomato growing trial. They found that the biodegradable polyester-urethane-urea film provided similar water savings and crop yields as traditional plastic mulches while avoiding the environmental drawbacks of persistent plastic residues. The study suggests that sprayable biodegradable mulches could be a viable alternative to reduce microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.
Modeling Spring Maize Grain Filling under Film Mulching and Nitrogen Application in a Cold and Arid Environment
Researchers modeled maize grain-filling under different plastic mulch film and nitrogen fertilizer treatments, finding that degradable plastic film performed similarly to conventional plastic mulch. The comparison of degradable versus conventional agricultural plastic films is relevant to microplastic contamination of soils, as conventional mulch films are a major source of agricultural microplastics.
Environmental risk of multi-year polythene film mulching and its green solution in arid irrigation region
Researchers found that 19 years of polythene film mulching accumulated up to 2,900 microplastic particles per kilogram of soil along with elevated plasticizer concentrations, and demonstrated that biodegradable film alternatives could significantly reduce this environmental contamination.
Rice Cultivation under Film Mulching Can Improve Soil Environment and Be Beneficial for Rice Production in China
This review examines the benefits and drawbacks of growing rice under plastic film mulch in China, which improves water efficiency and yield but contributes to microplastic contamination of agricultural soil. While degradable films and organic fertilizers offer partial solutions, long-term plastic residue in farmland remains a concern. The study highlights the tension between agricultural productivity and the risk of microplastic pollution entering the food supply through soil.
Effect of Different Mulch Types on Soil Environment, Water and Fertilizer Use Efficiency, and Yield of Cabbage
Researchers compared different mulch types including biodegradable films for cabbage cultivation in arid mountain regions, evaluating effects on soil temperature, moisture retention, water and fertilizer use efficiency, and crop yield under challenging growing conditions.
Microplastic contamination in cotton soils following long-term mulching: A field study for the Xinjiang production and construction corps in China
Researchers investigated microplastic accumulation across agricultural soils in Xinjiang, China — a major mulch film use region — finding that microplastic abundance positively correlates with mulching duration and that geographical and social factors drive north-south differences in contamination levels.