Potential to double-crop plastic mulch

How Long Can Roundup ® Residues Stay on Plastic Mulch ?

Runoff loss of pesticides and soil: a comparison between vegetative mulch and plastic mulch in vegetable production systems.

Current vegetable production systems use polyethylene (plastic) mulch and require multiple applications of agrochemicals. During rain events, runoff from vegetable production is enhanced because 50 to 75% of the field is covered with an impervious surface. This study was conducted to quantify off-site movement of soil and pesticides with runoff from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plots ...

Isolation of native soil microorganisms with potential for breaking down biodegradable plastic mulch films used in agriculture.

Fungi native to agricultural soils that colonized commercially available biodegradable mulch (BDM) films were isolated and assessed for potential to degrade plastics. Typically, when formulations of plastics are known and a source of the feedstock is available, powdered plastic can be suspended in agar-based media and degradation determined by visualization of clearing zones. However, this appr...

Silver nanoparticles, a potential alternative to conventional anti-fungal agents to fungal pathogens affecting crop plants

Metallic silver nanoparticles have been reduced from silver nitrate by employing the extracellular enzymatic machinery of edible White button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). The physical properties of these particles, size and shapes have been determined using techniques like TEM, FTIR and XRD and were reported in our earlier report. But, what stands of paramount importance in the presen...

Silver nanoparticles, a potential alternative to conventional anti-fungal agents to fungal pathogens affecting crop plants

Metallic silver nanoparticles have been reduced from silver nitrate by employing the extracellular enzymatic machinery of edible White button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). The physical properties of these particles, size and shapes have been determined using techniques like TEM, FTIR and XRD and were reported in our earlier report. But, what stands of paramount importance in the presen...