MULCH2O: A SPRAYABLE, BIOBASED, BIODEGRADABLE MULCH TECHNOLOGY FOR CERTIFIED ORGANIC SMALL FRUIT PRODUCTION

Ben Weiss

doi:10.7273/000007498

Plastic mulches derived from non-biodegradable polymers (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene) are a critical technology in agriculture due to their ability to decrease labor costs, improve crop microclimates, suppress weeds, and increase yields. Unfortunately, plastic mulches are often single-use and facilities to recycle them are scarce; thus, this important technology comes at substantial environmental cost in the form of plastic waste and pollution. Due to strict regulations, the issue of plastic waste is especially confounding to certified organic growers, leaving few options other than plastic mulch in certified organic systems. Hydromulch (also known as “hydramulch”) is an alternative, closed-loop, sprayable, biodegradable mulch technology that could eliminate these sustainability concerns while maintaining the horticultural benefits of plastic mulch. This thesis aims to evaluate the efficacy of hydromulch in multiple small fruit cropping systems. Due to most horticulturalists being unfamiliar with hydromulch, chapter one is comprised of a literature review, including the history of paper-based hydromulch, as well as a review of material science and horticultural literature on the topic. For chapters two and three, two studies across three diverse environments were conducted to ascertain hydromulches’ potential in certified organic day-neutral strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa ‘Albion’) and northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Valor®’) systems. The first study evaluated five hydromulch formulations (2% and 6% concentrations of guar gum and psyllium husk tackifiers, and no tackifier) compared to polyethylene mulch film. Despite hydromulch treatments having slightly greater weed pressure, the formulations containing 6% tackifier maintained yield, fruit quality, and tissue nutrient status. The second study investigated three hydromulch treatments (4% guar gum tackifier, no tackifier, and a pre-mixed slurry material with 4% guar gum added) to a woven plastic mulch referred to as “weedmat” using the late-season blueberry cultivar ‘Valor®’. This study demonstrated that the hydromulch treatments were poor at suppressing monocot weeds while dicot weed suppression was comparable to weedmat based on weed biomass. Similar to the strawberry trial, hydromulch treatments maintained yield and fruit quality with the exception of the 4% guar gum treatment, which had slightly lower yield relative to the no tackifier hydromulch treatment. Leaf tissue nutrient concentrations were unaffected by hydromulch treatments. This thesis shows that hydromulches may be a promising technology for certified organic small fruit systems with low monocot weed pressure. Future work to advance hydromulch technology should seek to improve mechanical properties for better weed suppression and ascertain economic viability on commercial farms.

MULCH2O: A SPRAYABLE, BIOBASED, BIODEGRADABLE MULCH TECHNOLOGY FOR CERTIFIED ORGANIC SMALL FRUIT PRODUCTION

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