A Review of Plastic Film Mulching on Water, Heat, Nitrogen Balance, and Crop Growth in Farmland in China

Abstract

Plastic film mulching has been widely used to improve crop yield and water use efficiency, although the effects of plastic film mulching on water, heat, nitrogen dynamics, and crop growth are rarely presented comprehensively. This study investigated a large number of studies in film mulching fields from the past 10 years (mostly from 2019 to 2023) and summarized the impact of plastic film mulching, progress in modeling with film mulching, and future research directions. The effects of plastic film mulching were intricate and were influenced by film mulching methods, irrigation systems, crop types, crop growth stages, etc. Overall, plastic film mulching showed a positive effect on improving soil water, temperature, and nitrogen status, enhancing crop transpiration and photosynthetic rates, and promoting crop growth and yield, although film mulching may have negative effects, such as increasing rainfall interception, blocking water entering the soil, and reducing net radiation income. The crop yield and water use efficiency could increase by 39.9–84.7% and 45.3–106.4% under various film mulching methods. Coupled models of soil water and heat transport and crop growth under plastic film mulching conditions have been established by considering the effects of plastic film mulching on the upper boundary conditions of soil water and heat, energy budget and distribution processes, and the exchange of latent and sensible heat between soil and atmosphere. The models have good applicability in film mulched farmland of maize, rice, and potato for different regions of China. Further development is needed for soil water, heat, nitrogen migration, and crop growth models under different plastic film mulching methods, and the acquisition of soil and crop indicators under plastic film mulching conditions based on big data support. The study will provide reference for the subsequent development and innovation of plastic film mulching technology.

Mulching as a restoration method of revegetation at ash and slag dumps of Burshtyn TPP

“…Y. Zhao et al (2023) studied fields with film mulching over the past 10 years (mainly from 2019 to 2023). The results of the study of plastic film mulching demonstrated a positive impact on improving water, temperature, and nitrogen in the soil.…”

Ecological and Economic Benefits of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategies in Rice Production: A Case Study of the Southern Rice Propagation Base in Hainan Province

“…Furthermore, plastic film mulching could significantly increase crop yield and water use efficiency by modifying the crop growth environment [27]. A meta-analysis based on 313 studies showed that plastic film mulching reduced CH 4 emissions by 69%, increased N 2 O emissions by 85%, reduced nGHG emissions by 51%, and improved rice yield by 1.6% compared with continuous flooding irrigation [22]. Plastic film mulching in upland rice significantly decreased CH 4 emissions compared with that in traditional paddy fields due to lower soil moisture during the rice growth stage [28].…”

“…For example, the adoption of dry-cultivated WDR has been widely promoted in China to ensure stable production and reduce GHG emissions [19,20]. In recent years, plastic film mulching has emerged as a common practice in crop production to minimize water consumption while simultaneously enhancing crop yield and mitigating GHG emissions [21,22]. This approach offers both economic benefits and environmental advantages.…”

Mulching Practices Improve Soil Moisture and Enzyme Activity in Drylands, Increasing Potato Yield

“…The effective precipitation at this stage from starch accumulation to maturity was 87.9 mm in the wet year and the effective precipitation at this stage was 12.2 mm in the normal year. Although plastic film mulching could effectively prevent the evaporation of surface moisture, at the same time, the higher coverage hinders the infiltration of some rainwater [26]. We are concerned that using plastic film mulching for an extended period can impact the soil's moisture balance by decreasing the infiltration of rainwater.…”