Cultivation with compostable bioplastic mulching: lower cost and higher productivity

In agriculture, the technique of covering the soil around seedlings with plastic film, known as mulching, is an important crop protection resource to ensure greater productivity and quality of the harvest – and it now has an ally that reinforces and enhances the gains of the circular economy: the use of ecovio compostable bioplastic.

The great advantage of using compostable material over conventional plastics is that the eco-friendly films do not need to be removed and, on the contrary, become fertilizer at the end of their useful life, serving as fertilizer for the land. It is naturally degraded by microorganisms present in the soil, which recognize its structure as food that can be metabolized. The material can even be plowed into the soil after mechanical harvesting, reducing the enormous work of removing material, reducing labor costs, eliminating unwanted waste in the environment, benefiting planting and increasing its productivity.

For plastic to be considered compostable, it must meet three criteria according to certification standards: biodegradation, decomposing into water, carbon dioxide and biomass; disintegration, leaving the material indistinguishable from the soil; in addition to the material produced not being able to present any toxicity. The ecovio, a polymer also obtained from renewable raw materials based on corn, follows all these criteria and has international certifications of compostability.

O mulching It is a resource used to maintain temperature, improve the use of nutrients and protect various crops such as tomatoes, strawberries, grapes, cucumbers, melons, watermelons, eggplants, peppers and lettuce, among others. Mulch films made from ecovio can contribute to an increase of around 20% in tomato production, in addition to ensuring lower water consumption and better weed control with less use of herbicides, compared to the use of traditional plastic . Greater crop resistance to fungal diseases, better root development, better plant growth, reduced harvest time and homogeneous fruit quality were also observed.

In addition to contributing to efficient food production and sustainable agriculture, the application of compostable bioplastics is expanding to countless possibilities, such as for the production of disposable utensils, plastic bags, coffee capsules, food packaging and other products that also can be sent to compost.

Bioplastics can also be allies in the management of solid urban organic waste, used in collection and disposal at composting centers, eliminating the packaging separation phase. The commitment to a sustainable future involves presenting effective solutions that offer waste reduction, the possibility of recycling, composting, in short, favoring the circular economy.