M. D. Orzolek and B. Dye
Dept. of Horticulture
The Pennsylvania State University

Abstract. The use of plastic mulch for the production of vegetable crops in the United States has doubled in the last 10 years. While energy costs have risen dramatically in the last 3 years, plastic film manufacturers have saved money on the production of mulch film by reducing the thickness of the film. Film thickness has gradually gone from 1.5 mil to 0.5 to 0.7 mil in the last 3 years. The thinner mulch film does reduce the amount of resin required to make the product and in most cases, also reduces the cost of the roll compared to the 1.5 mil material. The one disadvantage of the thin plastic film is the retrieval potential for growers after the crop has been harvested in the field. Thin films 0.7 mil or less do not retrieve from the field very easily and thus difficult to recycle. A truly biodegradable plastic mulch has been developed and is being sold commercially in Europe and also in North America. This new, innovative plastic film does truly biodegrade in the field and can be rototilled into the soil at the end of the season. Field research has demonstrated that the biodegradable mulches will produce as much pepper and melon fruit compared to non-degradable plastic mulch. Two issues that growers may be apprehensive about are the initial cost of the biodegradable mulch compared to non-degradable mulch and the sometimes unpredictability of the degradation rate of biodegradable mulch.

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