title: Utilization of a biodegradable mulch sheet produced from poly(lactic acid)/ecoflex/modified starch in mandarin orange groves.
abstract: We have developed a mulch sheet made by inflation molding of PLA, Ecoflex((R)) and modified starch, which all have different biodegradabilities. A field test of use as an agricultural mulch sheet for mandarin oranges was carried out over two years. The mechanical properties of the mulch sheet were weakened with time during the field test, but the quality of the mandarin oranges increased, a result of the controlled degradation of the sheet. The most degradable modified starch degraded first, allowing control of the moisture on the soil. Accelerator mass spectroscopy was used for evaluation of the biomass carbon ratio. The biomass carbon ratio decreased by degradation of the biobased materials, PLA and modified starch in the mulch sheet.
authors.affiliation: Industrial Technology Center of Wakayama Prefecture, 60, Ogura, Wakayama, 649-6261, Japan.|National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1, Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8565, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.affiliation: Industrial Technology Center of Wakayama Prefecture, 60, Ogura, Wakayama, 649-6261, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: Industrial Technology Center of Wakayama Prefecture, 60, Ogura, Wakayama, 649-6261, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Industrial Technology Center of Wakayama Prefecture, 60, Ogura, Wakayama, 649-6261, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasukatsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1, Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8565, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunioka
mesh_terms: D063566:Biodegradable Plastics / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002957:Citrus / Q000254:growth & development; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013213:Starch / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D063566:Biodegradable Plastics; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; C472388:ecoflex; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide); D013213:Starch