Researchers from Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU) have developed a bamboo-based biodegradable mulch film to reduce agricultural plastic pollution, with the findings recently published in Environmental Technology & Innovation.

The study, titled "Bamboo-based, interface-tunable, and biodegradable ligno-bioplastic for superior agriculture mulching", was conducted by Professor Li Qiang's team from HZAU's College of Engineering, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences and Hubei Hongshan Laboratory.

To address the environmental challenges caused by conventional polyethylene mulch films, the team developed a bamboo-based ligno-bioplastic mulch film by combining bamboo powder with poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT). Through cell wall engineering with facile delignification, the researchers enhanced the interfacial interaction between bamboo powder and PBAT, improving the film's mechanical performance and agricultural application potential.

Experiments showed that the bamboo-based mulch film improved soil temperatures and moisture conditions, promoting the growth of Chinese cabbage. After 360 days, the optimized mulch film achieved biodegradation rates of 62.1 percent in field conditions and 78.0 percent in compost.

The study offers a promising approach to replacing conventional plastic mulch films with renewable biodegradable materials and advancing greener agricultural development.

The figure illustrates the design concept of the bamboo-based biodegradable mulch film and its potential applications in agriculture. [Photo/new.hzau.edu.cn]