Applied science and research and development agency, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), reports that a field trial of biobased and biodegradable agricultural mulch films is currently taking place. The trial is being run on a pineapple farm outside the Eastern Cape town of Peddie.

The project is being led by the CSIR and funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), by way of its South African Circular Economy Demonstration Fund (which was implemented by Circular Innovation South Africa). The field trial is seen as an important step forward for both sustainable agriculture and the scaling of circular economy practices in South Africa.

Mulch films are normally made from plastics derived from fossil fuels. They served important functions in agriculture, such as conserving soil moisture, suppressing weeds and regulating temperature, thereby increasing crop yields. But plastic mulch films are rarely recycled because they are contaminated with soil and organic matter, and they often contribute to microplastics pollution.

The biobased and biodegradable mulch films now being trialled are designed to be as functionally good as the plastic ones, but without their environmental downsides. The biobased films are designed to completely break down in the soil, and decompose into organic biomass, water and CO₂, after the cropping cycle.

This project is part of a wider programme to reduce fossil-fuel-derived plastic waste in farming while also improving crop performance.

The trial site was visited recently by a delegation led by DSTI deputy director-general: socio-economic innovation partnerships Dr Mmboneni Muofhe. “For the DSTI, the site visit is an opportunity to evaluate the real-world impact of its investment and to explore pathways to scale the innovation,” he said.

“This visit is a key milestone,” affirmed Circular Innovation South Africa manager, and delegation member, Professor Linda Godfrey. “It allows stakeholders to see, first-hand, a home-grown circular innovation that could transform how farmers use plastic mulches – an area of agriculture that is overdue for sustainable alternatives.”

“We’ve developed different formulations to suit short, medium and long-duration crops,” reported CSIR Advanced Polymers and Composites Research Group leader Dr Vincent Ojijo. “What’s more, our formulations incorporate natural materials sourced locally, adding an economic dimension to their environmental value. This is not just a technical demonstration. It’s a chance to generate awareness and build partnerships that could take this innovation from field trial to market.”