Study on the degradation of biodegradable plastic mulch film and its effect on the yield of cotton.

This study was conducted in the Yellow River Basin(Chengan,Hebei) and the western outback(Shihezi,Xinjiang) cotton planting areas in 2009.The tested materials are three types of biodegradable mulch films(A,B,C)provided by Shangjiu Biodegradable plastic Co.,LTD.Guangdong.The results showed that the degradation properties of the biodegradable mulch films were different due to the variable environmental conditions from the two regions.The degradation process of biodegradable mulch film in Hebei was faster than that of in Xinjiang under both covered on soil surface and buried in the soil conditions.Comparing with the control,the faster degradation process of the biodegradable mulch film A and B affected the soil temperature,water storing capacity,thus resulted in decreased cotton yield;On the other hand,biodegradable mulch film C was better than both A and B.