Re-used mulching of plastic film is more profitable and environmentally friendly than new mulching

• Published in: Soil & tillage research Vol. 216; p. 105256
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xu-Long, Zhao, Yang-Yang, Zhang, Xin-Tan, Shi, Xiao-Peng, Shi, Xiao-Yan, Li, Feng-Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.02.2022
• Subjects: Economic benefits; Mulch film residue; Plastic pollution; Productivity; Soil aggregation; Soil organic carbon; Productivity; Soil aggregation; Economic benefits; Soil organic carbon; Mulch film residue; Plastic pollution
• ISSN: 0167-1987; 1879-3444
• DOI: 10.1016/j.still.2021.105256

Reducing the usage and residue of plastic mulch film, but not productivity, is crucial for the sustainable development of dryland farming. The re-used mulching of plastic film (directly cropping on the already used plastic film) was tested compared to no-mulch and new mulching (mulching new film each year), in the grain maize, forage maize, and faba bean cropping systems. The new mulch significantly increased topsoil temperature (18.4% above average), upper 2 m soil moisture (20.2%), crop yield (85.8%), above-ground biomass (63.4%), net revenue (68.4%), proportion of macroaggregates (> 0.25 mm) (35.7%), mean weight diameter (MWD) (78.4%), soil organic carbon (7.0%), and heavy fraction organic carbon (10.3%) in all three crop systems compared to no-mulch. Re-used mulch significantly increased topsoil temperature (11.4% above average), moisture (13.4%), and MWD after final crop harvest (19.1%) in all three crop systems; and significantly increased crop yield (61.8%) and above-ground biomass (50.3%) in the faba bean system. However, re-used mulch had no significant effect for the grain and forage maize systems compared to no-mulch. The 2-years re-used mulch (3-years continuously mulch) had significantly lower plastic film residue (57.1% below average) after final crop harvest in all three crop systems. Re-used mulch also produced significantly higher net revenue (13.2%) in the faba bean system compared to new mulch. In summary, cropping faba bean, under re-used mulch, instead of new mulch, significantly reduce the usage and residue of plastic film and resulted in similar high productivity, and may become a willingly adopted practice for farmers due to the higher net revenue. This work can serve as a reference for sustainable use of plastic film mulch and has potential applications to effectively reduce plastic film usage and residue in cropland and develop sustainable agriculture, especially for cultivating faba bean and other temperature-insensitive crops in developing countries. •Plastic mulch film residue is emerging persistent pollutants in agricultural soils.•The re-used mulch of plastic film was tested compared to the new mulch.•Mulch film residue for 2-years re-used mulch was only about half of new mulch.•Re-used mulch got equal faba bean but lower maize yield compared to new mulch.•Faba bean under re-used mulch got greater net economic return than new mulch.