Formulation of Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Film for Agriculture Crop Protection: A Review

Recently, the demands of biodegradable plastic for mulching application have vastly increased due to environmental concern, conservation of soil health and ease of residue management after growing season. The raise in demands also reflected by the increased number of studies related to biodegradable plastic mulch in the past 10 years. Biodegradable plastic mulch film has emerged as a promising alternative material for mulching due to ease of installation, offers benefits comparable to polyethylene (PE) mulch film, in situ biodegradation and able to improve soil fertility. This review sheds light on recent advances in different formulations of plastic mulch film. Formulations based on single polymer, polymer blends and polymer composites of biodegradable natural and synthetic polymeric materials particularly for mulching application were discussed. Comprehensive discussions on the performance of different formulations used for mulching material are reviewed in this review article.