Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Professional Training Economics of Biodegradable
Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Professional Training Economics of Biodegradable Mulch Use Lisa De. Vetter, Washington State University Mark Bolda, University of California https: //smallfruits. wsu. edu
Initial Purchase Costs v How much does it cost to purchase PE and BDMs? * *Note – some manufacturers can customize mulch width *Ghimire and Miles, 2016 https: //smallfruits. wsu. edu
Economic Considerations for PE v How much does it cost to remove PE mulch? • Amount of plastic applied in the field multiplied by 1. 5 = weight of • • mulch to be disposed (50% increase in weight from soil/plant debris) Labor hours to remove and dispose of PE mulch Cost of labor v Disposal costs vary by location* • $20 to $50 per ton in TN • ~$100 per ton in WA • $0 to $125 per ton in CA (some counties do not even accept PE mulch for disposal) v No removal and disposal costs for BDMs *Velandia et al. , 2018 https: //smallfruits. wsu. edu
Economic Considerations for BDMs v End-of-season activities require modification with BDMs: • Remove drip tape before tilling BDM Image: Kennco • into the soil o Based on 1 on-farm trial with pepper, drip tape removal required 1. 6– 2. 4 person-hours per acre with 6 -ft row spacing* o Estimates may vary due to soil, environmental conditions, and other factors BDM tilled into soil as part of field clean-up operations *Velandia et al. , 2018 https: //smallfruits. wsu. edu
Current Economic Analyses v Expected costs for PE mulch • Mulch is ~$400 per acre for purchase and installation • ~$240 per acre for removal • $28 per acre for landfill disposal • Total costs: $668 per acre v Expected cost for BDMs • $534 per acre for purchase and installation • $18 per acre for tillage into the soil • No removal or disposal fees • Total costs: $552 per acre v Drip tape removal needs to be accounted for in both scenarios v Assuming yield is equivalent to PE mulch, BDMs should be an economical option https: //smallfruits. wsu. edu
Tool - Mulch Calculator v Interactive “mulch calculator” assists farmers to determine the quantity of much needed and provides cost comparison to PE mulch v Available (for free) – see Resources v Two components: 1. Requirement Calculator - how many rolls of mulch (per acre or per hectare) need to be purchased based on roll length and spacing between bed centers 2. Cost Calculator – machinery cost, material cost, as well as the cost of labor to install the mulch, costs associated with clean-up activities Image: D. Low, 2014 Chen et al. , 2018 https: //smallfruits. wsu. edu
Tool - Mulch Calculator Assumptions 1. Required machinery and number of personhours to install PE mulch and BDM is the same 2. In Cost Calculator example, PE mulch removal is by hand (machinery cost would need to be added) 3. Drip tape is removed simultaneously with PE mulch and 1. 5 hours per acre is used for cost of removing drip tape before BDM Image: D. Low, 2014 is tilled into soil (this number can be adjusted as needed) 4. PE mulch disposed in landfill for fee, while BDM tilled into soil (thereby eliminating removal and disposal costs) 5. Usually takes 3 hours per acre to till BDM into soil based on field study in WA, but largely depends on type of equipment used (this number can be modified if needed) Chen et al. , 2018 https: //smallfruits. wsu. edu
Resources • Dimensions and Costs of Paper, Polyethylene and Biodegradable Plastic Mulch http: //vegetables. wsu. edu/Dimensions%20%26%20 costs%20 plastic%20 a nd%20 biodegradable%20 mulch. pdf • The Economic Feasibility of Adopting Plastic Biodegradable Mulches in Pumpkin Production https: //extension. tennessee. edu/publications/Documents/W 822. pdf • Dimensions and Costs of Biodegradable Plastic and Polyethylene Mulches (raspberry emphasis) https: //s 3. wp. wsu. edu/uploads/sites/2181/2017/06/Fact. Sheet. Costand. Di mensions-2. pdf • Mulch Calculator https: //ag. tennessee. edu/biodegradablemulch/Documents/Chen-Mulchcalculcator-introduction. pdf https: //smallfruits. wsu. edu
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