Performance and Degradation of Nonwoven Mulches Made of Natural Fibres and PLA Polymer—Open Field Study
The need for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic mulches in agriculture has led to the development of various types of biodegradable mulches made from natural fibres and biopolymers to reduce environmental pollution and mitigate soil pollution caused by conventional plastic mulch usage....
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/22/4447 |
| _version_ | 1797457904969711616 |
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| author | Paula Marasović Dragana Kopitar Ružica Brunšek Ivana Schwarz |
| author_facet | Paula Marasović Dragana Kopitar Ružica Brunšek Ivana Schwarz |
| author_sort | Paula Marasović |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The need for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic mulches in agriculture has led to the development of various types of biodegradable mulches made from natural fibres and biopolymers to reduce environmental pollution and mitigate soil pollution caused by conventional plastic mulch usage. Degradation, impact on soil temperature and humidity, and weed suppression properties of needle-punched nonwoven mulches of different mass per unit area, made of jute, hemp, viscose, and PLA biopolymer, are investigated. Their biodegradation is determined by changes in the mulch properties (mass per unit area, thickness, air permeability, tensile properties, microscopic images, and FTIR analyses) during 300 days of exposure to the environmental conditions in the period from May 2022 to February 2023. The change in mass per unit area, thickness, air permeability, and tensile properties of nonwoven mulches did not show a tendency to degrade during exposure to environmental conditions. The microscopic and FTIR analysis showed the degradation of the fibres from the mulches during the exposure time to a certain extent. The environmental conditions influence the change in the dimensions of the mulches (shrinkage and expansion)—which impact periodically tested mass results per unit area—as well as their thickness and air permeability. The nonwoven mulches provide higher temperatures compared to bare soil, though not as high as those observed beneath traditional agricultural foil. When comparing the humidity in bare soil and soil covered by mulches during the plant growth period (June to October), it was found that soil humidity was higher beneath all mulches. The nonwoven mulches provide superior soil moisture retention compared to conventionally used agrofoil. Almost all nonwoven mulches effectively suppressed weed growth, except hemp mulches. The newly produced mulches have the potential to replace traditional agrofoil, offering improved conditions for plant growth, effective weed control, and faster degradation without causing harm to the environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:30:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-71ff41372e444c769d13f9aa9488fe1f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:30:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-71ff41372e444c769d13f9aa9488fe1f2023-11-24T15:02:39ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-11-011522444710.3390/polym15224447Performance and Degradation of Nonwoven Mulches Made of Natural Fibres and PLA Polymer—Open Field StudyPaula Marasović0Dragana Kopitar1Ružica Brunšek2Ivana Schwarz3Department of Textile Design and Management, Faculty of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb, Prilaz baruna Filipovica 28a, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Textile Design and Management, Faculty of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb, Prilaz baruna Filipovica 28a, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Materials, Fibres and Textile Testing, Faculty of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb, Prilaz baruna Filipovica 28a, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Textile Design and Management, Faculty of Textile Technology, University of Zagreb, Prilaz baruna Filipovica 28a, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaThe need for sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic mulches in agriculture has led to the development of various types of biodegradable mulches made from natural fibres and biopolymers to reduce environmental pollution and mitigate soil pollution caused by conventional plastic mulch usage. Degradation, impact on soil temperature and humidity, and weed suppression properties of needle-punched nonwoven mulches of different mass per unit area, made of jute, hemp, viscose, and PLA biopolymer, are investigated. Their biodegradation is determined by changes in the mulch properties (mass per unit area, thickness, air permeability, tensile properties, microscopic images, and FTIR analyses) during 300 days of exposure to the environmental conditions in the period from May 2022 to February 2023. The change in mass per unit area, thickness, air permeability, and tensile properties of nonwoven mulches did not show a tendency to degrade during exposure to environmental conditions. The microscopic and FTIR analysis showed the degradation of the fibres from the mulches during the exposure time to a certain extent. The environmental conditions influence the change in the dimensions of the mulches (shrinkage and expansion)—which impact periodically tested mass results per unit area—as well as their thickness and air permeability. The nonwoven mulches provide higher temperatures compared to bare soil, though not as high as those observed beneath traditional agricultural foil. When comparing the humidity in bare soil and soil covered by mulches during the plant growth period (June to October), it was found that soil humidity was higher beneath all mulches. The nonwoven mulches provide superior soil moisture retention compared to conventionally used agrofoil. Almost all nonwoven mulches effectively suppressed weed growth, except hemp mulches. The newly produced mulches have the potential to replace traditional agrofoil, offering improved conditions for plant growth, effective weed control, and faster degradation without causing harm to the environment.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/22/4447cellulose fibresPLA biopolymerneedle-punched nonwoven mulchesdegradationperformance |
| spellingShingle | Paula Marasović Dragana Kopitar Ružica Brunšek Ivana Schwarz Performance and Degradation of Nonwoven Mulches Made of Natural Fibres and PLA Polymer—Open Field Study Polymers cellulose fibres PLA biopolymer needle-punched nonwoven mulches degradation performance |
| title | Performance and Degradation of Nonwoven Mulches Made of Natural Fibres and PLA Polymer—Open Field Study |
| title_full | Performance and Degradation of Nonwoven Mulches Made of Natural Fibres and PLA Polymer—Open Field Study |
| title_fullStr | Performance and Degradation of Nonwoven Mulches Made of Natural Fibres and PLA Polymer—Open Field Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Performance and Degradation of Nonwoven Mulches Made of Natural Fibres and PLA Polymer—Open Field Study |
| title_short | Performance and Degradation of Nonwoven Mulches Made of Natural Fibres and PLA Polymer—Open Field Study |
| title_sort | performance and degradation of nonwoven mulches made of natural fibres and pla polymer open field study |
| topic | cellulose fibres PLA biopolymer needle-punched nonwoven mulches degradation performance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/22/4447 |
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