A Sprayable Biodegradable Polymer Membrane for Use in Crop Production.

Plastic mulch films have been used successfully in agriculture to increase crop productivity by suppressing weeds, conserving soil water and modifying soil temperature. Long-term use of petroleum-based preformed plastic mulch films have however come at a cost to the environment as evidenced by worsening pollution and degradation of our soil and water systems. There is now growing recognition of these problems and increasing interest in developing alternative biodegradable products. In this paper we discuss development of a sprayable biodegradable polymer membrane (SBPM) technology and compare and contrast advantages and disadvantages of SBPM and plastic mulch film technology. Transitioning to SBPM technology will offer farmers greater flexibility, eliminate costs associated with retrieval and disposal of plastic mulch film, and reduce and ultimately eliminate pollution of our soil and water systems associated with current petroleum-based preformed plastic mulch films.