Bamboo-based, interface-tunable, and biodegradable ligno-bioplastic for superior agriculture mulching

Plastic mulching is widely utilized to enhance crop yield, yet its excessive use has rendered severe white pollution. To tackle the challenge, this study developed a biodegradable ligno-bioplastic for agriculture mulch by compositing bamboo with biodegradable poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) polymers. The interfacial interaction between bamboo powders and PBAT was efficiently tuned by cell wall engineering with facile delignification, which significantly enhanced the mechanical performances, gas permeability, and water vapor transmission of resultant mulch. These enhancements enabled superior coverage with augmented temperature and moisture content of soil, which has thereafter largely prompted the growth of Chinese cabbage. After harvest, mulch exhibited biodegradation rates of 62.1% and 78.0% within 360 days in field and compost, respectively, suggesting its great potential to eliminate post-handling of remained plastic wastes in field. In summary, this bamboo-based ligno-bioplastic as biodegradable mulch represents a feasible and environment-friendly alternative to conventional plastic mulch to mitigate white pollution and promote sustainable agriculture.