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2026 Vol.71, Issue 1

Original Research Article

Evaluation of Seasonal Film Biodegradability, Soil Environment, and Soybean Growth of Biomass-based Biodegradable Mulching Film

바이오매스 기반 생분해성 멀칭 필름의 시기별 필름붕괴 및 토양환경과 콩 작물의 생육 평가

Hyun-Sug Choi12*
,
Seo-Yoon Gu3
,
Ji-Sik Jung4
최 현석12*
,
구 서윤3
,
정 지식4
1Professor, Department of Horticultural Biotechnology, Hankyong National University, Anseong 17579, Korea
2Professor, Research Institute of International Agriculture, Technology and Information, Hankyong National University, Anseong 17579, Korea
3Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Horticultural Biotechnology, Hankyong National University, Anseong 17579, Korea
4Researcher, Department of Horticultural Biotechnology, Hankyong National University, Anseong 17579, Korea
1한경국립대학교 원예생명공학전공 교수
2한경국립대학교 국제농업기술정보연구소 교수
3한경국립대학교 원예생명공학전공 박사과정
4한경국립대학교 원예생명공학전공 연구원
*Corresponding Author
1 March 2026. pp. 1-12
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Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of biomass-based biodegradable (BD) film mulching in a soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) field on the film biodegradability, seasonal soil environment, and crop growth. Non-mulching (NM) and mulching film treatments were applied, including polyethylene (PE), commercial BD of R (polybutyrate adipate terephthalate [PBAT] base), and biomass-based BD, T1 (PBAT-based, three-layer structure), T2 (polybutylene adipate [PBA] base), and T3 (PBA base). BD mulching films rapidly disintegrated and were present in the T3-BD film at 60 days after transplanting (DAT). Tensile strength and elongation of the BD films decreased significantly at 60 DAT, and the decrease was the greatest in the T2 and T3 films. The total weed incidence and fresh weight were highest in the NM and T3 mulching plots. The PE mulching plots increased the daily average maximum temperature by approximately 35-40 °C in July and August and maintained relatively constant soil moisture levels. Soil hardness was high in the NM and T3 plots. Soil electrical conductivity was the highest in the T1, T2, and T3 mulching plots before harvest. Soil NO3-N, P2O5, and MgO levels increased in the PE plots. The soil C/N ratio was the highest in the PE plots at 25.5, whereas the R, T1, and T2 plots showed low levels of 14.2–15.6. The T3-treated crops had the fewest branches at 30 DAT. Leaf SPAD decreased in the T1-, T2-, and T3-treated crops at 120 DAT. Soybean yields per 10 a were obtained in the order of R (2155.9 kg) > PE (1808.4 kg) > T2 (1678.5 kg) > T1 (1535.4 kg) > T3 (1437.1 kg), and NM (1407.4 kg) treatments. T3 mulching films contained highly BD materials, resulting in decreased crop yields due to the weed occurrence and soil hardening caused by early biodegradability, which required film materials that could suppress early degradation.

Keywords
biomass film
moisture
mulch
PE
soybean
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Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society of Crop Science
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국작물학회
  • Journal Title :The Korean Journal of Crop Science
  • Journal Title(Ko) :한국작물학회지
  • Volume : 71
  • No :1
  • Pages :1-12
  • Received Date : 2025-12-15
  • Revised Date : 2026-01-26
  • Accepted Date : 2026-01-27
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7740/kjcs.2026.71.1.001
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