A Comparative Plant Growth Study of a Sprayable, Degradable Polyester–Urethane–Urea Mulch and Two Commercial Plastic Mulches

Cuyler Borrowman, Karen Little, Raju Adhikari (), Kei Saito, Stuart Gordon and Antonio F. Patti ()
Additional contact information
Cuyler Borrowman: School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Karen Little: School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Raju Adhikari: CSIRO Manufacturing, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
Kei Saito: School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
Stuart Gordon: CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
Antonio F. Patti: School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-13

Abstract: The practice in agriculture of spreading polyethylene (PE) film over the soil surface as mulch is a common, global practice that aids in conserving water, increasing crop yields, suppressing weed growth, and decreasing growing time. However, these films are typically only used for a single growing season, and thus, their use and non-biodegradability come with some serious environmental consequences due to their persistence in the soil and potential for microplastic pollution, particularly when retrieval and disposal options are poor. On the microscale, particles < 5 mm from degraded films have been observed to disrupt soil structure, impede water and nutrient cycling, and affect soil organisms and plant health. On the macroscale, there are obvious and serious environmental consequences associated with the burning of plastic film and its leakage from poorly managed landfills. To maintain the crop productivity afforded by mulching with PE film while avoiding the environmental downsides, the development and use of biodegradable polymer technologies is being explored. Here, the efficacy of a newly developed, water-dispersible, sprayable, and biodegradable polyester–urethane–urea (PEUU)-based polymer was compared with two commercial PE mulches, non-degradable polyethylene (NPE) and OPE (ox-degradable polyethylene), in a greenhouse tomato growth trial. Water savings and the effects on plant growth and soil characteristics were studied. It was found that PEUU provided similar water savings to the commercial PE-based mulches, up to 30–35%, while showing no deleterious effects on plant growth. The results should be taken as preliminary indications that the sprayable, biodegradable PEUU shows promise as a replacement for PE mulch, with further studies under outside field conditions warranted to assess its cost effectiveness in improving crop yields and, importantly, its longer-term impacts on soil and terrestrial fauna.

Keywords: sprayable polymer mulch; tomato growth; greenhouse study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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