Organix
Biodegradable film from Organix Solutions
Biodegradable mulches are being explored for both strawberry and raspberry fields. Researchers and growers hope this new era of mulches can improve plant results and reduce plastics in landfills while reducing the labour required to remove plastic products from fields.
In Mount Vernon, Washington, Lisa Wasko DeVetter of Washington State University conducted a 2014 study of five different mulch treatments on day-neutral strawberries. While more research is needed for solid conclusions on biodegradable mulches, some interesting information was gained in this first trial.
Lisa Wasko DeVetter
Lisa Wasko DeVetter of Washington State University.
The biodegradable mulches are made of starch, cellulose or other materials that will shatter from continuous exposure to the elements, then will degrade into the soil when they are worked in post-harvest.
DeVetter’s five different treatments included a corn-starch based biodegradable mulch; an experimental fermentation based biodegradable mulch film; a cellulose based biodegradable mulch; a standard black plastic (polyethylene); and no mulch.
As expected, all mulched crop results were comparable and exceeded the yield of the unmulched trial plot. DeVetter found that in addition to yield results, the experimental fermentation product shattered and broke down too quickly while the cellulose product blew off the crop a number of times.
The potential for biodegradable mulches exists to improve day-neutral strawberry crops but more studies will be done before any firm conclusions or recommendations are presented.
Also in Washington, raspberry grower Randy Honcoop explored the use of a biodegradable film from Organix Solutions. His goals with the film were to protect his raspberry tissue culture plugs from weeds and to not resort to using black plastic.
“I wondered, ‘how can I develop a system that is feasible, manageable for me to use these tissue culture plugs?’” he said.
He began the project late in the season (late May) but managed to develop a tool to punch through the installed plastic while planting the tissue cultures.
“The plants seemed to establish very well. There was minimal shock,” he said. “The moisture control is fantastic. With the film on there, I think I probably used a third of the amount of water.”
Honcoop’s observations support the potential for biodegradable mulches in berry fields in the future, but more testing is still required to understand the full impact of the materials.