Soil Biodegradable Mulches
Funded by a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) grant entitled “Improving end-of-life management of plastic mulch in strawberry systems”, this project compares commercially available and emerging soil biodegradable plastic mulch products to polyethylene (PE) mulch in strawberry systems of California, Washington, Nebraska, and Florida. Our program is focusing on the soil health impacts of the mulch products over time in each location.
Learn more:
- Follow project updates @Mulch_Matters
- Check out this Extension factsheet In-Field Biodegradation of Soil Biodegradable Mulch, co-authored by Deirdre Griffin LaHue
- Listen to this interview with Deirdre on the Mulch Matters Podcast
- Learn more about WSU’s work on biodegradable plastic mulches at https://smallfruits.wsu.edu/plastic-mulches/
Related journal publications:
- Griffin-LaHue, D.*, S. Ghimire, Y. Yu, E.J. Scheenstra, C.A. Miles, M. Flury. 2022. In-field degradation of soil-biodegradable plastic mulch films in a Mediterranean climate. Science of the Total Environment 806, 150238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150238
- Madrid, B., H. Zhang, C.A. Miles, M. Kraft, D. Griffin-LaHue, L.W. DeVetter. 2022. Humic and acetic acid have the potential to enhance deterioration of select plastic BDMs in a Mediterranean climate. Agriculture 12, 865. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12060865
- Yu, Y., D. Griffin-LaHue, D., C.A. Miles, D.G. Hayes, M. Flury. 2021. Are micro- and nanoplastics from soil-biodegradable plastic mulches an environmental concern? Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 4, 100024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2021.100024
- Zhang, H., C. Miles, B. Gerdeman, D.G. LaHue, and L.W. DeVetter. 2021. Plastic mulch use in perennial fruit cropping systems – A review. Scientia Horticulturae. 281:109975 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2021.109975
