Iowa researchers are studying the possibilities of sustainable bioplastic containers for crops and plants to be sold in for commercial uses to consumers. The containers they developed give off a fertilizer affect while the crops or plants are growing. As the crop or plant grows inside the container, the container loses coloring on the outside due to the crop or plant taking away the fertilizer and nutrients. The container also then begin to degrade.
“Our idea is that the producer would grow the plant in this container, the consumer would buy it and when they go to put their plant in the ground they would take the plant out and break this [container] into pieces and put that in the hole [with the plant] so it can degrade in the soil while the plant grows,” James Schrader, an assistant scientist in horticulture, said in an article at the iowastatedaily.com.
The containers have proteins made in with the bioplastic, are used as a fertilizer for the crop or plant. The fertilizer is used both when the crop or plant is growing in the greenhouse and while the crop or plant is growing in the ground according to Schrader.
One issue with the program involving the containers is mold growth on the inside. However, the growing of mold is a rare problem the researchers face.
The program is in its third year of a five year study, supported with a $1.94 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Source: iowastatedaily.com
Announcements
Job Offers
- Head Grower Greenhouse Canada
- Post Entry Quarantine Facility Manager
- Economic Policy Officer Agri-Tech Kentucky
- Licensing Manager North America
- Junior Sales Executive
- Fruit Breeder/Trait Discovery Scientist
- General Manager
- Regional Sales Manager – DACH Region
- Country Manager – Italy
- Country Manager – Spain
"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 -yesterday
Top 5 -last week
- “Black growbags could benefit vegetable crops as well”
- Latvia: First greenhouse to grow cucumbers under LEDs uses landfill waste to produce energy
- "Moisture is the big danger in the next two months"
- "Even light intensity at every spot in the greenhouse"
- US (OH): 80 Acres Farms makes layoffs as tech job crunch continues
Top 5 -last month
- How farmers are cutting out supermarkets
- Combining vertical farming and greenhouse horticulture to decentralize lettuce production
- Higher light transmission and lower heat demand with double foil greenhouse
- Fresh produce chain hit by Lakeside Produce’s bankruptcy
- 30MHz declared bankrupt, curator 'optimistic about restart'
containers also give off a fertilizer:
US: Iowa researchers work on degradable bioplastic plant container
Publication date:
Receive the daily newsletter in your email for free | Click here
Other news in this sector:
- 2023-01-10 Retail Sleeve offers plastic-free alternative to pots
- 2022-11-17 Kenya to provide freighters for agri-exports
- 2022-11-14 Angus Soft Fruits now importing berries using reduced-plastic, cushioning punnet to improve quality and recyclability.
- 2022-11-11 "Process automation facilitates the reduction of production costs in citrus warehouses"
- 2022-11-11 "Elastic and non-elastic yarns with ecologically sustainable materials"
- 2022-10-26 'Reefer container rates expected to decrease at a significantly slower pace through 2023'
- 2022-09-22 New cling film is compostable with industrial versatility
- 2022-09-19 Snack tomato packaging wins 'Carton of the Year 2022' award
- 2022-09-13 "Products washed with peroxide have a longer shelf life"
- 2022-08-29 Strauss's leapfrogging in sustainable packaging by ROP for salads and leafy greens
- 2022-08-25 UK: Plant packaging manufacturer is exhibiting at the Four Oaks Trade show
- 2022-08-24 "No doubt robotic harvesters will be common in greenhouses very soon"
- 2022-08-18 Sustainable closure sealing and labelling of fruit and vegetable trays
- 2022-08-12 New application for disinfection of fresh-cut fruits by means ozone in the packaging
- 2022-07-07 New cold storage and research rooms put into operation at Proeftuin Randwijk
- 2022-07-07 Fruit that always has the best taste and bite thanks to All-in-One Spectral Cabinet
- 2022-06-30 50% more plants thanks to new strawberry cultivation system
- 2022-06-01 Proseal pioneers workable alternatives to plastic tray sealing
- 2022-05-27 European retailers called out for not going all-in on curtailing plastic pollution
- 2022-05-27 Is the economy threatening packaging sustainability?
