Agronomical Overview of Mulch Film Systems

Abstract

Mulching is intended to reduce or eliminate the aggression of weeds, and has been used for more than 10,000 years using different materials and techniques, increasingly advanced. A significant advance was obtained with the development of plastic materials for agricultural applications. Plastic mulch films for more than half a century have helped to control weeds, improving crop development and achieving greater yield in terms of quantity and quality, as well as reducing phytosanitary risks and irrigation water consumption, due to the reduction of soil evapotranspiration rate. Agronomic techniques and materials have been developed in recent years, providing new options and opportunities for growers. A brief introduction to the history of the mulch, the state of the art, and its market will be reported in this chapter. The recent evolution of mulch films will also be analyzed, in particular, the development and use of photo-selective and biodegradable mulch films in soil. This innovative solution aims to overcome the simple concept of mulch with the purpose of improving the agronomical performances by using photo-selective films, while biodegradable films can contribute to environmental protection by eliminating the problems of collecting post-harvest plastic films. In this chapter different photo-selective mulch films, from their physical characteristics to the agronomic performances are discussed. Photo-selective mulch films for soil solarization are also highlighted. The use of photo-selective mulch films in orchards will complete the overview on mulching. The current challenge and future steps in research and development is to perform photo-selective BMFs to combine the advantages of photo-selective effect with respect for the environment. Finally, the recent essays on the performances of photo-selective mulch films in China are presented.