BASF is offering a certified soil-biodegradable plastic for mulch films consisting of the biodegradable co-polyester PBAT ecoflex and other biodegradable polymers made from renewable raw materials, with its ecovio M 2351 film.
Mulch films made from ecovio M 2351 can be ploughed into the soil after mechanical harvest as naturally occurring micro-organisms in the soil recognise the structure of the film as food they can metabolise.
Certified soil-biodegradable ecovio® M 2351 for mulch films used in growing tomatoes
Moreover, mulch films made of ecovio can lead to increased tomato yield from 15 to 50 per cent, less water consumption, and a better weed control with less herbicides compared to bare-soil farming.
Farmers also observed high resistance of the crop to fungal diseases, an earlier harvest time, as well as a better, more homogeneous quality of the crop and a higher Brix index, which refers to the sugar-water ratio in the tomatoes.
Dirk Staerke, from Marketing Biopolymers for Agriculture at BASF, said: “We support farmers in many countries in using mulch films made from ecovio.”
“According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the global agricultural production has to grow by 70 per cent if we want to feed a world population which in 2050 is expected to grow to nine billion people.”
“Biodegradable mulch films can contribute to this challenge without polluting the soil with non-degradable film residues.”