Paper mulches

Paper mulch is a sturdy paper sold in a roll, for use on annual vegetable beds. 

Runham, S.R., Town, S.J. and Eitzpatrick, J.C. 2000. Evaluation over four seasons of a paper mulch used for weed control in vegetables. Acta Horticulturae 513 193-201. 

Covering garden and greenhouse soil with materials like newspaper or brown paper prevents thrips from reaching the soil in order to pupate. Weight paper mulches down with soil, boards, or other items so they can t blow away. These materials break down quickly replace them periodically. 

Epoxidized soybean oil has been polsrmerized with citric acid and used to coat kraft paper for biodegradable agricultiu-al mulching covers (86) the coating extends the lifetime of the paper mulch to a practical length (Figa. 10). Other plant oils that are being studied include castor seed oil, sunflower seed oil, com (maize) oil, and rapeseed oil. 

Wurzberger, A., and De Gregorio, R., 1995, Evaluation of a Paper Mulch Made from... 

Campbell, A. Zhang, X. Tripepi, R.R. Composting and evaluation a pulp and paper sludge for use as a soil amendment/mulch. Compost. Sci. Util. 1995, 84, 84-95. 

Mulch film PE o o 3 Paper Biodegradability depending on local climate is key issue... 

Fibers are readily baled with wire or into paper or plastic bags. Refined wood and straw fiber for hydromulch, shredded recycled paper for insulation or mulch, and RDF are commercially extruded with piston balers at 50 to 100 psi (0.4-0.7 MPa) producing 16 to 18 Lb/CF (256-288 Kg/m3). Cotton motes, linters and flax fiber are baled at similar pressures into wire- or twine-bound bales. Under certain conditions fibers can be cubed. 

More wood needs to be recycled. Wooden pallets need to be reused over and over again. When broken beyond repair, they can be chipped for use in chipboard,287 or for use in paper. They can be combined with wood waste from construction or demolition for this purpose. (Frigidaire is now using reusable polyethylene pallets, which may last longer.288) New Haven, Connecticut, shreds a combination of stumps, trees, and other wood waste to produce mulch. Problems have arisen from burying such waste on construction sites. Sinkholes have formed and methane has leaked into basements. 

Most of the artificial mulching materials, such as black paper or plastics, and aluminum foil, are satisfactory for weed control provided the soil is completely covered. If applied as perforated sheets, or in strips, some annual weeds will usually grow through the holes or cracks. 

The effects of artificial mulches, including aluminum, plastic, paper, wood pulp and bitumen, on available soil nutrients should be minor since they do not add appreciable amounts of mineral or organic nutrients. Any effects that they might have would be largely on soil moisture and temperature, which might either increase or decrease microbial activities in the soil. If these mulclies increase plant growth, there would likely be an increase in the rhizosphere population, but this would have little effect on available soil nutrients. 

Wood, the hard,, fibrous substance consisting of holocellulose and lignin from trees and other plants. Sawdust and wood chips are byproducts from a number of wood fabrication techniques, or they may be produced purposely to provide feedstocks for paper manufacture, compressed wood products, mulch, etc. 

Starches are modified chemically in various ways. Some acetate and phosphate esters are produced commercially, as well as hydroxyalkyl and tertiary aminoalkyl ethers. Both unmodified and modified starches are used principally in paper making, paper coating, paper adhesives, textile sizes, and as food thickeners. There are many reports in the literature on graft copolymers of starch. The work is often conducted is search of biodegradable materials for packaging and agricultural mulches. Most chemical modifications of starch parallel those of cellulose. 

PLA Fusarium moniliforme Penicillium roquefort, Amycolatopsis sp. Bacillus brevis, Rhizopus delemer Torres et al. (1996), Pranamuda et al. (1997), Pranamuda and Tokiwa (1999), Tomita et al. (1999), Fukuzaki et al. (1989) Packaging and paper coatings other possible markets include sustained release systems for pesticides and fertilizers, mulch films, and compost bags Plastics recycUng-Economic and Ecological Options (2006)... 

Sisal bulbils are raised in nursery beds with a spacing of about 25 x 25 cm. Bulbils may be preferred over suckers for planting. Bulbils or suckers can be collected about 6-8 months prior to the planting. The growth of bulbils is improved by mulching sisal nurseries with grass, paper or polythene. The sisal nursery needs... 

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