Oct. 17 (Bloomberg) -- AIMPLAS, a Spanish plastics technology center, is researching the addition of microorganisms to biodegradable mulch film to improve crop yields and productivity. This approach specifically involves adding probiotics and hydrogels to agricultural mulch films.
Hydrogels are obtained from natural polyelectrolytes found in algae, such as alginate and carrageenan, and the addition of environmental probiotics to hydrogels improves soil water retention on the one hand, and on the other hand the probiotics improve crop efficiency and plant uptake of nutrients.
This is the BIOENCAPSULACIÓ project, led by the Plastics Technology Center AIMPLAS and financed by the Valencia Institute for Business Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) and the ERDF Fund. This research project aims to address the urgent need to reduce the use of fertilizers in agriculture, which is directly related to the reduction of chemical use, food safety, water pollution and efficient water use, etc. AIMPLAS is also developing biodegradable mulches functionalized with these probiotics. Once they reach the end of their useful life, these films release microorganisms that stimulate metabolic pathways involved in plant development and growth by enhancing nutrient assimilation. This approach aims to reduce the need for additional chemicals. Both advances have been evaluated to ensure that microorganisms do not compromise the mechanical and chemical properties of the hydrogel or film, and that these biostimulants maintain their properties during plastic conversion processes such as film extrusion.
