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Harvest Time! Disappearing Mulch Adds Buffs for a Bountiful Yield? How Incredible!

CHINAPLAS1 2025-09-24 09:30:51

A seed, from falling to the ground to harvest.

Behind it all are the hard work and dedication of agricultural workers.

With the support of agricultural technology forces!

"It is said that 'once the mulch is applied, yields increase quickly.'"

Today, let's talk with everyone about it.

A strong "assistant" in modern agricultural production -

▲ Image source: China Vegetables

Plastic mulch is one of the commonly used tools in agriculture, with the function of Insulation and moisture retention、Drought resistance and water conservation、Salt suppression of weedsThe function can.Significantly increase crop yields。

China has nearly 300 million mu of crop land covered with plastic film, consuming over 1.6 million tons of plastic film each year.

The main raw material for traditional agricultural film isPolyethylene (PE)Polyethylene, due to its good flexibility, light transmittance, and waterproof properties, has become an ideal material for making mulch films. Based on the polymerization method and molecular structure, polyethylene is divided into low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), among others. In actual production, ordinary mulch films are mostly blown from high-pressure polyethylene resin, with a thickness ranging from 0.012 to 0.016 millimeters.

Polyethylene mulch film is difficult to completely decompose in nature, such asIf not recovered in timeResidual substances in the soil, over the years, can cause environmental pollution in farmland and affect crop yields.

In recent years,Fully biodegradable mulch film

As a new type of agricultural production material.

Gradually entering people's.

Becoming a new hope in the field of agricultural environmental protection.

Biodegradable mulch film

Fully biodegradable mulch filmBiomaterials such as starch and fiber.As the main component, degradation is achieved through a triple mechanism of water, light, and microbial decomposition, where microbial decomposition and water decomposition play key roles during use.

More importantly, after use, fully biodegradable film does not require manual collection, saving both mechanical and labor costs directly.

In the family of plastics, it is referred to asPolybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT)Thermoplastic biodegradable plastics are especially favored.

Like polyethylene, PBAT is also a polymer compound produced by the polymerization of many monomers. The molecular chains of PBAT are connected end-to-end through ester bonds. Unlike the extremely strong carbon-carbon single bonds of polyethylene, microorganisms can easily find a breakthrough at the ester bonds. By secreting biological enzymes such as lipase, protease, and chitinase, they can easily break them down into small molecular monomers, which are then completely decomposed into carbon dioxide, water, and other products. Generally, under ideal conditions in compost or soil environments, PBAT can basically degrade within a few months.

▲Image Source: Fengyuan Bio

“The process of collecting the film from the fields, followed by transportation, stacking, sorting, cleaning, crushing, and pelletizing, is the previous method for controlling plastic film residue pollution in farmland.

However, in actual operations, the film is mixed with crop straw, soil, and other materials, requiring cleaning and impurity separation before producing recycled materials, resulting in relatively high processing and reuse costs.Fan Tinglu, Deputy Director of Gansu Academy of Agricultural SciencesIn multiple practices, it has been found that after mechanical harvesting of crops such as corn and potatoes in the field, the plastic mulch becomes intertwined with the straw, making it difficult to remove. If they are plowed into the soil together, it will exacerbate soil pollution.

"Using fully biodegradable film eliminates the need to consider recycling issues, as it can degrade into fragments from the time of covering the crops until the harvest of that season's crops, and can be completely decomposed by microorganisms later, providing a new solution to the problem of residual pollution from plastic film."

The Farmland's New Eco-Friendly "Attire"

All the TAs are using it!

On September 16, in the 30-acre cotton experimental field of the Second Company of Fangcaohu Farm, Sixth Division of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the white cotton bolls were hanging on the branches. This field adopted...Fully biodegradable filmThe planted cotton fields will usher in a bountiful harvest.

It is worth noting that fully biodegradable film is laid on the ground of cotton fields.Completed 70% - 80% degradation.。

The cotton in the experimental field is growing well. Image source: Huyang Net

At the edge of the experimental field,Dahes Technology Development (Nanjing) Co., Ltd.Chairman Yu Zeng introduced: "In April this year, we collaborated with Fangcao Lake Farm for the first time, using an innovative scheme of 'water-saving drip irrigation + fully biodegradable film' for cotton planting in a 30-acre experimental field. The cotton is now approaching the harvest period, and from the growth of the plants and the degradation effect of the film, we have achieved the expected goals."

The data shows that after the biodegradable mulch film was applied to the experimental field on April 10, it remained functional by June 20, with an intact appearance and significant effects in moisture retention, seedling promotion, weed suppression, and fertilizer retention. By mid-September, its degradation rate reached 70% to 80%, and although some fragments were still visible on the ground, the physical strength of the film had completely disappeared. Ultimately, it can achieve 100% degradation after soil tillage.

On September 15, the current state of the plastic film in the experimental field. Image source: Hu Yang Net.

The results of the experimental field demonstrate the applicability of fully biodegradable mulch film in Xinjiang's cotton areas, providing a new solution to the problem of mulch film residue pollution.

In August, in Qichun, Hubei, it is the harvest season for the second crop rice. The rice waves rise and fall with the wind, presenting a scene of abundant harvest.

“今年4月，我们在再生稻田里铺上了Professor Li Qiang's team at Huazhong Agricultural University has developed a straw-based fully biodegradable film.The results are surprisingly positive. Not only does it save on herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, but it also...Expected to increase production by 10% to 15%."What's even more amazing is that the plastic film in the fields is already degrading now," said Lv Yunqing, head of the Qichun County Yunjie Regenerative Rice Professional Cooperative Union, looking at the heavy rice ears with a big smile.

Li Qiang's team is conducting field experiments. Photo provided by Huazhong Agricultural University.

Our core technology is "turning waste into treasure," making straw the main component of mulch film."Straw recycling - Film production - Field application - Decomposition and return to the soil""The green agricultural closed loop." Li Qiang introduced that the team has achieved in-situ tuning technology of the straw cell wall supramolecular structure, realizing high-throughput compounding of straw powder with guest polymers, directly reducing raw material costs by 40%.

At the same time, the team also developed.Straw-derived lignin green plasticizer technologyTo replace traditional industrial plasticizers, the mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation at break of the film have been enhanced to 2-4 times the national standard, meeting the field mulching requirements for the entire growth period of crops.

It is worth mentioning that as a component of soil organic matter, returning lignin to the field can significantly enhance soil fertility. According to estimates, this technology can precisely control the degradation of plastic mulch, with a cycle ranging from 40 to 180 days, which can be matched with the growth cycles of different crops. It not only increases temperature and conserves moisture but is also environmentally friendly and economical, addressing several pain points in the plastic mulch industry.

Currently, the relevant technology has been implemented.Yunnan, Hubei, Xinjiang, Sichuan, Jiangsuand multiple planting scenarios, and inRice, rapeseed, tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, cornThe completion of a hundred-acre level demonstration application on crops has significantly increased production and income.

As the largest in Fujian ProvinceFresh cornProduction area,Dongyou Town, Jian'ou CityThe cultivation area of fresh corn exceeds 120,000 mu. During the production process of fresh corn locally, a scientific use of fully biodegradable mulch film is adopted, effectively increasing the yield.

Farmers in Jian'ou City are transplanting fresh sweet corn seedlings in farmlands covered with biodegradable plastic film. Source: Southeast Network

"Before the Spring Festival, while (seedling raising) and laying the film, by mid-February, the corn seedlings can be transplanted under the film."The plastic film starts to tear after about 3 months."This is the perfect time for spring corn harvesting." As one of the first users in the area, Deng Ruisen, a large local corn grower, is well-versed in the benefits of fully biodegradable mulch film.

He said that in addition to saving the film recovery process, the all-biodegradable film brings significant yield benefits. In the past, due to the residual effects of polyethylene film, corn growth was uneven, often resulting in a yield reduction of about a hundred catties per acre.With the biodegradable film that "disappears," each plant is thriving. Last year, he only used it on more than 10 acres, and this year he has expanded the area of biodegradable film to over 100 acres.

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Harvest Time! Disappearing Mulch Adds Buffs for a Bountiful Yield? How Incredible!

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