Biodegradable fabric with efficient thermal-wet management for eco-friendly weed control and water retention of soil

Effective weed management is crucial for maintaining soil health and ensuring the availability of essential resources, such as water, and sunlight. However, current weed control strategies fall short in terms of sustainability and environmental impact, with issues like chemical resistance, soil microplastics and non-targeted damage becoming increasingly prevalent. Here, a potential weed control fabric based on eco-friendly and abundant jute fiber is demonstrated that reduces weed growth and minimizes the level of water evaporation. Jute weed control fabrics (JWCFs) are structurally and density adjusted to create different fabric porosities. The variation in porosity effectively regulates the transmission of sunlight hindering weed photosynthesis while effectively reducing water evaporation. The optimization of microporosity improves the performance of the fabric in suppressing weeds and retaining soil moisture. Field experiments with JWCFs revealed a reduction of 61–100 % in weed growth, an average decrease of 1.6–4.3 °C in soil heat accumulation, 6.0–68.5 % suppression of water evaporation, and a 47.52 % weight loss after 40 days of degradation. These findings underscore the feasibility of utilizing jute fabric as an effective weed control solution, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional weed management methods. • Jute fabrics exhibited notable efficacy in the management of heat and moisture. • Jute fabrics could maintain 100 % weed control efficiency for at least one year. • Jute fabrics reduced soil water evaporation by 6.0–68.5 %. • Low environmental impacts.