Biodegradable mulch film-enriched with biochar, chicken feather, and oyster shell powder for improved soil quality and crop productivity.
Iamsaard K, Wolde GS, Weng CH, Chen YC, Hsueh HY
Soil Health
That bag of chicken feathers or pile of oyster shells from your backyard cookout could become next season's garden mulch, feeding your soil while it breaks down instead of sitting in a landfill.
Scientists made garden mulch films from plant-based plastics combined with charred wood (biochar), ground chicken feathers, and crushed oyster shells — all things normally thrown away. When they tested these films in greenhouse experiments, the soil underneath became richer in nutrients, harbored more beneficial microbes, and grew healthier crops than untreated plots, all without adding any extra fertilizer. The films also blocked weeds and eventually broke down naturally, unlike conventional plastic mulches that persist for decades.
Key Findings
The best-performing mulch film (made with sugarcane-derived biochar, chicken feathers, and oyster shells) achieved a soil quality index of 0.76 — a significant improvement over control treatments.
The biodegradable films improved soil pH, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, and nutrient levels (nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium) while boosting microbial enzyme activity.
Crop yield increased and weeds were suppressed with no external fertilizers applied, demonstrating the films function as both mulch and slow-release soil amendment.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers created biodegradable mulch films from corn-based plastics mixed with biochar, chicken feathers, and oyster shells — waste materials — that improved soil health and boosted crop yields without added fertilizers.
Abstract Preview
This study presents the development of an eco-friendly biodegradable mulch film (BDM) based on a polylactic acid (PLA)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blend matrix integrated with agricultural and fishery ...
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