Agronomic Effects Of Biodegradable Films On Crop And Field Environment

This chapter describes the state of the art of the agronomic effects of degradable bioplastics used as agricultural films. Current use of bioplastics and certified commercial biodegradable materials, both as granulates and as final products, are introduced. Following, agronomic effects on crops are reported and compared to the routinely used oil-based nondegradable plastics, basically the polyethylene films. Biodegradable films for agriculture were initially developed mostly for mulching application, which still remains the most significant one. Since last reviews published in 2011, new progress and perspectives have mainly arisen regarding the agronomic effects of biodegradable mulching on vegetable crops, not only as films but also as nonwoven biobased mulches. The film mechanical laying and the effects on yield, earliness, product quality, weed control efficacy, microclimatic improvement and film soil coverage and degradation are presented in detail for tomato crops and for other crops where mulching is a common technique (pepper, melon and other cucurbits, strawberry, lettuce,.). Some information is provided for crops not so frequently mulched (broccoli, sweet potato, sweet corn). New findings published on the use of biodegradable films for solarisation are also reviewed, while no significant progress on the use of films for low tunnel covers has been made. Recent proposals for vineyards and future potential application of bioplastics for orchard crops are also addressed. Finally, pros and cons for the adoption of biodegradable films for cultivating crops are discussed.