Polyethylene and Biodegradable Plastic Mulches for Strawberry Production in the United States: Experiences and Opinions of Growers in Three Regions

Abstract

<jats:p>Although agricultural plastic mulches can have significant horticultural benefits for specialty crops such as strawberry (<jats:italic>Fragaria ×ananassa</jats:italic>), there can also be significant economic and environmental costs. In particular, polyethylene (PE) plastic mulch requires labor and financial investments for removal and disposal. Micro- or nanoparticles may persist in soil and negatively affect microbial activity, physical soil properties, and nutrient availability. A possible alternative to PE mulch is biodegradable plastic mulch, which has similar horticultural benefits but does not need to be removed from the field at the end of the growing season. Biodegradable plastic mulch can be tilled into the soil, where it is converted by soil microorganisms into water, carbon dioxide, and microbial biomass. Although horticultural and environmental research into the impacts of PE and biodegradable plastic mulch is ongoing, it is also important to understand farmers’ practices and perceptions related to these mulches. We conducted a survey of strawberry growers in three growing regions of the United States: California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Mid-Atlantic. Our results indicate several regional differences, with California farmers being more likely to have used biodegradable plastic mulch, and growers from California and the Pacific Northwest being more likely to perceive negative impacts of PE mulch compared with growers in the Mid-Atlantic. Regardless of region, a majority of growers were interested in learning more about biodegradable plastic mulch. We conclude with several suggestions for biodegradable plastic mulch development and outreach that may promote strawberry growers’ adoption of this technology.</jats:p>

Wastes from Agricultural Silage Film Recycling Line as a Potential Polymer Materials

“…Such a phenomenon is also attributed to the relatively high cost of reusing agricultural films [ 17 ]. After primary use, silage foil is often used as waste on legal and illegal waste landfills or burned in fields or in home boiler rooms [ 18 ]. Such disposal is harmful to the environment and is a serious issue because plastic waste may accumulate in natural ecosystems [ 19 ].…”

Cultural Control of Drosophila suzukii in Small Fruit—Current and Pending Tactics in the U.S.

“…For example, netting and plastic weedmat mulches become plastic waste [ 123 ]. Incentive programs and regulations on plastic waste disposal vary across the U.S. [ 124 , 125 ] and depending on the production region and the type of plastic used, recycling may be difficult [ 126 ] and these materials often biodegrade slowly [ 127 ]. Work addressing the financial and logistical barriers to the implementation of cultural control strategies, with systems-based cost benefit analyses, is necessary to develop and integrate economically viable cultural tactics into future IPM programs for this pest.…”

Use of Polyethylene and Plastic Biodegradable Mulches among Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Growers

“…Plastic BDMs provide similar benefits to PE mulch, but they are considered more sustainable than PE mulch (Goldberger et al, 2019). At the end of the season, BDMs do not have be removed, but rather they can be tilled into the soil or composted onsite, since they are designed to decompose in soil conditions into water, carbon dioxide, and microbial biomass (Hayes and Flury, 2018).…”

“…There are only two studies exploring the use of BDM and PE mulch among U.S. fruit and vegetable growers (Goldberger et al, 2013(Goldberger et al, , 2019. Using a qualitative approach, Goldberger et al (2013) explored the use of plastic mulch among fruit and vegetable growers in Tennessee, Washington, and Texas, and the perceived bridges and barriers to BDM adoption among these growers.…”

“…Using a qualitative approach, Goldberger et al (2013) explored the use of plastic mulch among fruit and vegetable growers in Tennessee, Washington, and Texas, and the perceived bridges and barriers to BDM adoption among these growers. Goldberger et al (2019) of these studies evaluate the differences in the characteristics of those farmers who have used BDM and those who have mainly used PE mulch for the production of fruit and vegetables. Only one study has explored the influence of BDM prices in fruit and vegetable growers' willingness to use this type of mulch (Scaringelli et al, 2016).…”