Lignocellulosic film is a new biobased, soil-biodegradable mulch option for horticultural cropping systems, created as an environmentally friendly substitute to polyethylene (PE) and non-biobased soil-biodegradable mulch. PE mulch is widely known as a large contributor to agricultural plastic waste since it is made from non-biodegradable polymers. To provide a more sustainable alternative to PE mulch, commercially available soil-biodegradable mulches are on the market, as they are designed to biodegrade in soils upon tillage. One of the main limitations of the currently available soil-biodegradable mulches is that they are not allowed in certified organic agriculture, because they are not made with 100% biobased feedstocks. Lignocellulosic film is made with fully biobased, renewable feedstocks, such as wood chips, giving it the potential to address this problem. Lignocellulose is plant biomass consisting of the components of plant cell walls, which include lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Wood chips are ground up, and through a facile dissolution/dispersion and regeneration process, lignocellulosic film is created. When preparing black lignocellulosic films, biochar may be added as a colorant. Within a recyclable solvent, the ground wood and biochar mixture are dissolved and/or dispersed. Once the mixture is cast into a sheet, it undergoes a washing and drying procedure, which results in an entirely biobased film. Information regarding the material properties of lignocellulosic film relative to other agricultural mulches will be presented along with future directions of research to improve end-of-life outcomes of agricultural mulch film in horticultural systems.
