Starch-based Films and Spray Coatings as Biodegradable Alternatives to LDPE Mulching Films

Biodegradable starch-based extruded mulching films and biodegradable sprayable water-born polysaccharides based coatings were prepared within two European Projects as an alternative to soil mulching films made of synthetic petro-chemical polymers. The biodegradable mulches, both films and coatings, had appropriate mechanical and physical properties to assure their functionality throughout the crop cycle in relation to the cultivation needs, the geographical region, and the season. The useful lifetime of the biodegradable films and coatings was fully comparable with the low density polyethylene films currently in use: the biodegradable films lasted up to 9 months, the biodegradable coatings up to 6 months. They satisfy the mulching task of weed control during the crop cycle reducing solar PAR radiation reaching the mulched soil and creating a physical barrier preventing airborne weed seeds.