Estudo da biodegradabilidade de bioplásticos numa cultura de ciclo curto - melão (Cucumis melo L. var.inodorus N.)

• Author(s): Saraiva, Artur Figueiredo
• Date: 2012
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/5304
• Origin: Repositório da UTL
• Subject(s): muskmelon; soil mulching; biodegradation test; bio-mulch film; polyethylene; sustainability
• Document Type: Master thesis
• Language: Portuguese
• Advisor(s): Duarte, Elizabeth Fernandes de Almeida
• Contributor(s): Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa

Description

Mestrado em Engenharia do Ambiente - Instituto Superior de Agronomia

Due to the large amount of mulch films used in agricultural crops and to all the environmental problems related with their disposal, the biodegradable mulch films seems to be the best solution for replacing the conventional polyethylene mulches. The main goal of this work was to evaluate and compare the performance of biodegradable mulch films with the conventional polyethylene ones in muskmelon culture during two years. Beyond fruit productivity and quality, the impact of each plastic in the soil moisture and temperature were also assessed. Taking into account that there are no reported biodegradation studies realized in Portugal, it was also important to verify the biodegradability of this new mulch films under the Portuguese soil conditions. The biodegradable mulch films did not show significant differences in fruit productivity and quality. The biodegradation rate of the mulches tested was not as high as would be expected. From the overall results obtained, biodegradable mulch films appear to be a good solution for the replacement of the conventional polyethylene mulches, however the R&D should continue to be done to improve their biodegradation rate.