Molecular Plant Breeding 2024, Vol.15, No.1, 34-41 http://genbreedpublisher.com/index.php/mpb 39 4 Conclusion Mulch is a widely used technology in modern agriculture. Its effectiveness in improving physical, chemical and biological soil properties and in containing weeds is well established. Mulch can be made from a variety of materials, of which traditional plastics (i.e., fossil-sourced and non-biodegradable) are by far the most used. However, the subsequent disposal of plastic mulches when they are no longer in use is a serious problem, as they are not always easy to recycle and their residues can fragment until they become "microplastics" that pose a threat to the environment. Another serious problem associated with traditional plastics is their fossilized origin. For these reasons, the use of biodegradable mulch has been slowly gaining popularity in recent years. In crop production, biodegradable mulch maintains the physical properties and moisture of the soil, reducing the need for tillage and irrigation; increased biodiversity improves the habitat for microbial communities in terms of water/air ratios and the thermal state of the soil. Authors’ Contributions Conceptualization, RC, XA, LZ and CC; Data curation, XA; Formal analysis, RC Funding acquisition, XA; Investigation, RC and TL; Methodology, RC and XL; Resources, RC; Software, XA and RC; Writing-original draft, XA and RC; Writing-review & editing, XA. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Acknowledgments This research was funded by Basic Public Welfare Research Program of Zhejiang Province (LGN20C150007), Zhejiang Province "San Nong Jiu Fang" Science and Technology Cooperation Plan Project (2024SNJF005), China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA, China Agriculture Research System for Bast and Leaf Fiber Crops (CARS-16-S05), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32202506). Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Balla E., Daniilidis V., Karlioti G., Kalamas T., Stefanidou M., Bikiaris N.D., and Bikiaris D.N., 2021, Poly (lactic Acid): A versatile biobased polymer for the future with multifunctional properties-from monomer synthesis, polymerization techniques and molecular weight polymerization techniques and molecular weight increase to PLA applications, Polymers, 13(11): 1822. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13111822 PMid:34072917 PMCid:PMC8198026 Bandopadhyay S., González J., Henderson K.B., Anunciado M.B., Hayes D.G., and DeBruyn J.M., 2020, Soil microbial communities associated with biodegradable plastic mulch films, Frontiers in Microbiology, 11: 587074. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.587074 PMid:33281783 PMCid:PMC7691482 Bartolucci L., Cordiner S., De Maina E., Kumar G., Mele P., Mulone V., Igliński B., and Piechota G., 2023, Sustainable valorization of bioplastic waste: A review on effective recycling routes for the most widely used biopolymers, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(9): 7696. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24097696 PMid:37175402 PMCid:PMC10178466 Bastioli C., 1998, Properties and applications of Mater-Bi starch-based materials, Polymer Degradation and Stability, 59(1): 263-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0141-3910(97)00156-0 Brodhagen M., Peyron M., Miles C., and Inglis D.A., 2015, Biodegradable plastic agricultural mulches and key features of microbial degradation, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 99(3): 1039-1056. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-6267-5 PMid:25487893 DeVetter L.W., Zhang H., Ghimire S., Watkinson S., and Miles C.A., 2017, Plastic biodegradable mulches reduce weeds and promote crop growth in day-neutral strawberry in western Washington, HortScience, 52(12): 1700-1706. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI12422-17 Ding X., Yu J., Jiang X.M., and Zhu H., 2019, Research progress of biodegradable ground film materials, Engineering Plastics Applications, 47(12): 150-153. Dong H.Z., and Xu C.M., 1992, Status and management of film pollution in cotton fields, China Cotton, (6): 22-23.
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