The status and distribution characteristics of residual mulching film in Xinjiang, China

• Published in: Journal of Integrative Agriculture Vol. 15; no. 11; pp. 2639 - 2646
• Main Authors: ZHANG, Dan, LIU, Hong-bin, HU, Wan-li, QIN, Xiao-hui, MA, Xing-wang, YAN, Chang-rong, WANG, Hong-yuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Key Laboratory of Nonpoint Source Pollution Control, Ministry of Agriculture/Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R.China%Institute of Agricultural Environment and Resources, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yunnan 650205, P.R.China%Protection Station of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural Department, Urumqi 830001, P.R.China%Institute of Soil Fertilizer and Water Saving, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, P.R.China%Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, P.R.China 01.11.2016; KeAi Communications Co., Ltd
• Subjects: agricultural pollution; agricultural resources; arable soils; China; cotton; crops; farms; influential factor; mulches; mulching; plastic film; pollution; questionnaires; residual mulching film; surveys; Xinjiang; China; residual mulching film; influential factor; agricultural pollution; agricultural resources; Xinjiang
• ISSN: 2095-3119; 2352-3425
• DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61240-0

Pollution of residual plastic film in arable lands is a severe problem in China. In this study, the status of residual film and influential factors were investigated using the methods of farm survey in combination with questionnaires and quadrat sampling at a large number of field sites in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. The results showed that the amount of film utilization increased largely and reached to 1.8×10~5 t in 2013. Similarly, the mulching area also substantially increased in recent decades, and reached to 2.7×10~5 ha in the same year. According to the current survey, 60.7% of the sites presented a greater mulch residue than the national film residue standard（75 kg ha~（–1））, and the maximum residual amount reached 502.2 kg ha~（–1） in Turpan, Xinjiang. The film thickness, the mulching time and the crop type all influenced mulch residue. The thickness of the film had significantly negative correlation with the amount of residual film（P0.05）, while the mulching years had significantly positive correlation with it（P0.05）. The total amount of residual film in Xinjiang was 3.43×105 t in 2011, which accounted for 15.3% of the cumulative dosage of mulching. Among all the crops, the cotton fields had the largest residual amount of mulch film（158.4 kg ha~（–1））, and also the largest contribution（2.6×10~5 tons） to the total amount of residual film in Xinjiang.