A few days ago, the experimental farm that the INTIA (Navarre Institute of Agrifood Technologies and Infrastructures) has in the Navarre town of Sartaguda hosted an open day, which served to showcase the tests that the entity is carrying out to replace plastic mulch in horticultural greenhouses for more sustainable ones.
The project, implemented by INTIA in partnership with Smurfit Kappa, is intended to check the performance of eight different types of paper developed by the R&D&I Department of the San Luis company, comparing them with black polyethylene plastic, which is what is regularly used in this type of crops.
The experiment is especially relevant when it comes to waste prevention in the agricultural sector, since most of the mulch used in greenhouse crops are made of plastic, whose management and treatment as waste is very complex and with low recycling rates.
The main advantage of paper is that its withdrawal is not necessary since it will end up degrading.
During the visit, Amaya Uribarri, an INTIA specialist in greenhouse agricultural production, explained that the two fundamental aspects being tested are temperature and weed control.
“Mulch fulfills two fundamental functions: the first is to provide heat to the soil, which helps in the crop's development. This is measured by means of devices that record the soil's temperature below the mulch. The second is to prevent the proliferation of weeds,” said Uribarri.
These two parameters are being analyzed in the experimental farm, and the results so far have been very positive.
Representatives of Smurfit Kappa said that they are developing several types of paper from pine wood, eight of which are being tested.
In addition to the raw material being biodegradable, this paper comes from sustainable managed forests, certified with FSC and PEFC, which makes it possible to do renewable resources management work, contributing to the local economy and to fire prevention.
Source: navarracapital.es