Employment of Biodegradable, Short-Life Mulching Film on High-Density Cropping Lettuce in a Mediterranean Environment: Potentials and Prospects
Biodegradable mulch films were developed over the last decades to replace polyethylene, but their short durability and higher costs still limit their diffusion. This work aimed to test an innovative composite mulching film constituted by a mixture of carboxylmethyl cellulose, chitosan and sodium alg...
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2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1219 |
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| author | Marco Pittarello Maria Teresa Rodinò Rossana Sidari Maria Rosaria Panuccio Francesca Cozzi Valentino Branca Beatrix Petrovičová Antonio Gelsomino |
| author_facet | Marco Pittarello Maria Teresa Rodinò Rossana Sidari Maria Rosaria Panuccio Francesca Cozzi Valentino Branca Beatrix Petrovičová Antonio Gelsomino |
| author_sort | Marco Pittarello |
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| description | Biodegradable mulch films were developed over the last decades to replace polyethylene, but their short durability and higher costs still limit their diffusion. This work aimed to test an innovative composite mulching film constituted by a mixture of carboxylmethyl cellulose, chitosan and sodium alginate, enriched or not with an inorganic N- and P-source to help the microbial breakdown in soil. The trial was carried out using outdoor mesocosms cultivated with lettuce plants with high-density planting. Commercial Mater-Bi<sup>®</sup> and a polyethylene film were taken as control treatments. Air temperature and humidity monitored daily during the 51 d cropping cycle remained within the ideal range for lettuce growth with no mildew or fungi infection. Visible mechanical degradation of the experimental biopolymers occurred after 3 weeks; however, Mater-Bi<sup>®</sup> and polyethylene remained unaltered until harvest. Chemical soil variables (TOC, TN, CEC, EC) remained unchanged in all theses, whereas the pH varied. The yield, pigments, total phenols, flavonoids and ROS scavenging activity of lettuce were similar among treatments. Despite their shorter life service (~3 weeks), polysaccharide-based mulching films showed their potential to protect lettuce plants at an early stage and provide yield and nutraceutical values similar to conventionally mulched plants, while allowing a reduced environmental impact and disposal operations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d20d649ad75d498e9c1e5f6bdb78078e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-d20d649ad75d498e9c1e5f6bdb78078e2025-08-20T03:46:49ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-06-011511121910.3390/agriculture15111219Employment of Biodegradable, Short-Life Mulching Film on High-Density Cropping Lettuce in a Mediterranean Environment: Potentials and ProspectsMarco Pittarello0Maria Teresa Rodinò1Rossana Sidari2Maria Rosaria Panuccio3Francesca Cozzi4Valentino Branca5Beatrix Petrovičová6Antonio Gelsomino7Department of Agricultural Sciences, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural Sciences, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, 89124 Reggio Calabria, ItalyBiodegradable mulch films were developed over the last decades to replace polyethylene, but their short durability and higher costs still limit their diffusion. This work aimed to test an innovative composite mulching film constituted by a mixture of carboxylmethyl cellulose, chitosan and sodium alginate, enriched or not with an inorganic N- and P-source to help the microbial breakdown in soil. The trial was carried out using outdoor mesocosms cultivated with lettuce plants with high-density planting. Commercial Mater-Bi<sup>®</sup> and a polyethylene film were taken as control treatments. Air temperature and humidity monitored daily during the 51 d cropping cycle remained within the ideal range for lettuce growth with no mildew or fungi infection. Visible mechanical degradation of the experimental biopolymers occurred after 3 weeks; however, Mater-Bi<sup>®</sup> and polyethylene remained unaltered until harvest. Chemical soil variables (TOC, TN, CEC, EC) remained unchanged in all theses, whereas the pH varied. The yield, pigments, total phenols, flavonoids and ROS scavenging activity of lettuce were similar among treatments. Despite their shorter life service (~3 weeks), polysaccharide-based mulching films showed their potential to protect lettuce plants at an early stage and provide yield and nutraceutical values similar to conventionally mulched plants, while allowing a reduced environmental impact and disposal operations.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1219bio-based polymerschitosansodium alginatecarboxylmethyl celluloselettucenutraceutical values |
| spellingShingle | Marco Pittarello Maria Teresa Rodinò Rossana Sidari Maria Rosaria Panuccio Francesca Cozzi Valentino Branca Beatrix Petrovičová Antonio Gelsomino Employment of Biodegradable, Short-Life Mulching Film on High-Density Cropping Lettuce in a Mediterranean Environment: Potentials and Prospects Agriculture bio-based polymers chitosan sodium alginate carboxylmethyl cellulose lettuce nutraceutical values |
| title | Employment of Biodegradable, Short-Life Mulching Film on High-Density Cropping Lettuce in a Mediterranean Environment: Potentials and Prospects |
| title_full | Employment of Biodegradable, Short-Life Mulching Film on High-Density Cropping Lettuce in a Mediterranean Environment: Potentials and Prospects |
| title_fullStr | Employment of Biodegradable, Short-Life Mulching Film on High-Density Cropping Lettuce in a Mediterranean Environment: Potentials and Prospects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Employment of Biodegradable, Short-Life Mulching Film on High-Density Cropping Lettuce in a Mediterranean Environment: Potentials and Prospects |
| title_short | Employment of Biodegradable, Short-Life Mulching Film on High-Density Cropping Lettuce in a Mediterranean Environment: Potentials and Prospects |
| title_sort | employment of biodegradable short life mulching film on high density cropping lettuce in a mediterranean environment potentials and prospects |
| topic | bio-based polymers chitosan sodium alginate carboxylmethyl cellulose lettuce nutraceutical values |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1219 |
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