Sustainably intensified fresh-market vegetable production with compact bed plasticulture

Intensive plasticulture systems must evolve to increase productivity while reducing resource use and environmental impacts under climate change. Here we design and evaluate compact bed plasticulture (CBP) using taller and narrower beds to modify the plastic-covered soil environment for reducing inputs, losses, and stressors while improving crop productivity and profits. Field experiments with fresh-market pepper showed that CBP maintained or increased yields while reducing inputs such as plastics (mulch and drip tape), pesticides, and irrigation volume by 44–50% compared to conventional systems. CBP also reduced saturation stress and was associated with reduced incidence of waterborne disease (Phytophthora wilt) in one season. CBP meets multiple Sustainable Development Goals by reducing carbon emissions (928 kg CO₂ eq./ha), nitrogen loading (34 kg/ha), subsurface water loss (43 cm), plastic waste, and the associated microplastics. These reductions lowered production costs (up to $1279/ha) and risks for growers, while offering opportunities to increase yield per unit area of farmland. Compact bed plasticulture maintains or increases vegetable yields while reducing inputs, environmental impacts, carbon emissions, and production risks, based on field experiments with fresh-market pepper and assessments of multiple metrics.