The use of agricultural mulch film is growing and annual use of plastic mulch films in United States agriculture has surpassed the 1 billion pound mark. The associated removal and disposal cost continues to grow and affects a large percentage of food production operations. Currently used agricultural mulch films are made from petroleum derived polyolefin resins that are not degradable and must be removed from the field after each growing season and disposed of in landfills. The cost in time and labor required to address this aspect of farm production can average $150 to $200 per acre and represents a massive additional cost component of our food supply. The purpose of the proposal is to make agricultural mulch film from renewable and degradable materials to relieve some of the costs and environmental burden. Time and costs required to remove and dispose of polyolefin agricultural mulch film are significant burdens to farmers. With demand on limited landfill space growing, there is mounting pressure to eliminate landfills as a disposal option for agricultural plastic waste. Degradable films can eliminate the need for removal and disposal of agricultural mulch films. This new technology will improve production by eliminating the requirement to remove and dispose of agricultural mulch film, thereby reducing costs. This technology will also create environmental benefits by reducing the amount of petroleum derived plastic fragments that persist in soils, lakes, rivers and oceans, and by reducing the amount of farming waste that goes into landfills. OBJECTIVES: Plasticulture describes the use of plastics in agriculture, and encompasses a variety of materials including agricultural mulch film. Plasticulture enables farmers to extend both the growing season and the land area that can be used for profitable crop production. The disadvantage is that removal and disposal of polyolefin plastics is required after harvest. The objective of this project is to develop agricultural mulch films from renewable materials that can be tilled into the soil after harvest and that will sufficiently degrade prior to the following growing season. This new technology will improve production of fruits and vegetables by eliminating the requirement to remove and dispose of agricultural mulch film thereby reducing costs. This technology will also create environmental benefits by reducing the amount of petroleum derived plastic fragments that persist in soils, lakes, rivers and oceans, and by reducing the amount of farming waste that goes into landfills. The objective of our research and development is to enhance the productivity of crop production by introducing a cost-effective alternative agricultural mulch film that will not only improve the farmers productivity, but will also reduce the complexity and cost of vegetable production operations. Additionally, our mulch film will be made from renewable resources and will contribute to reduction in dependence on petroleum which is used to manufacture current plastic mulch films. The scope of the proposed research and development will be focused on vegetable production. However, once perfected, our biodegradable films can be used as an alternative to petroleum based films in production of other crops that are grown in high tunnels and in greenhouses. These biodegradable films will also have application in production of fruits and ornamental nursery crops. Our ultimate goal is to make and test biobased flexible films for agricultural applications such as agricultural mulch, fumigation film and low tunnels. We will succeed because we can meet the following two objectives. The first is converting inherently stiff, brittle materials into flexible films with high shear strength and tear resistance without sacrificing degradability. The second objective is to formulate polymer alloys with optimized degradation characteristics. Some of the anticipated results and benefits that can be projected are (1) Increased profitability for vegetable producers, (2) Reduced use of plastics derived from petroleum, (3) Reduced demand on limited landfill space for plastic disposal, (4) Reduced cost and labor for removal of agricultural mulch film, (5) Reduction of plastic fragments that persist in soils, lakes, rivers and oceans, and (6) Increased sustainability of farming and plasticulture practices APPROACH: DaniMer Scientific will work with farmers and with agricultural extension agents from land grant universities to extensively test performance of these new materials across a broad array of soils and growing conditions. Our work plan is comprised of three primary tasks. These tasks are: (1) Design and Evaluation of Polymer Formulations, (2) Production of Film Resins and Manufacturing of Film Rolls, and (3) Field Testing Task 1 uses the results of our feasibility studies conducted in Phase I to produce a series of films with physical and mechanical properties similar to Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) film. Specifically we plan to produce blends of PLA, with other renewable aromatic and branched chain aliphatic polyesters with and without the aid of plasticizers, coupling agents, nanoclays, and stabilizers. An analysis of variance experimental design will be used in order to evaluate variable interactions and to help optimize the final formulation. Four primary factors were considered in our feasibility studies conducted in Phase I. These same four factors will be considered in refining our formulations and producing films on a scale larger than lab scale. First, in order for this technology to work, the final product must be cost competitive with the polyethylene films currently in use. Second, if a formulation becomes too complex, it invites problems of reproducibility, complex processing mechanics and engineering. The third factor is the nature of the polymers themselves and their inherent properties and polymer-to-polymer compatibility. The fourth factor is efficiency associated with gathering the most information with the least amount of resources in the most timely and cost effective manner. In Task 2, DaniMer Scientific produce biodegradable resin and agricultural mulch film. There are two primary methods for producing the film that we want to develop. A blown film process and a cast film process will convert our resins into film for our field experiments. The broad parameters for each field experiment will dictate the quantities of resin and film that we plan to manufacture and use in each field experiment. In Task 3, DaniMer Scientific will design a field testing strategy for measurement of the degradation characteristics of agricultural mulch films. The field testing strategy will include documentation of the test plan as well as data collection and analysis. Field testing will be conducted in Florida, Georgia and California. The steps involved in each experiment are: Refine and document the resin formulation, manufacture the resin, ship film to converter, manufacture the film, install the film in the field test plots, plant crops in the test plots, monitor crop growth, monitor agricultural mulch film degradation over the growing cycle, harvest crop at the end of the growing season, analyze results, and plow remaining mulch film into ground Once this cycle is completed, the results will be used to refine the formulation and repeat the process again for the next crop growing season.
