Water Conservation And Heat Preservation Properties Of Bast Fiber Film Mulching And Its Effects On Crops

Plastic film mulching has gain great achievements in modern agriculture. However, the long-term use of plastic mulch film has caused soil degradation and environmental pollution, because the residue is hardly degradable. To solve this problem, researchers of Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, developed the environment friendly bast fiber mulch film. This new product is made of plant fiber, such as ramie fiber, and is degradable and pollution-free. This new film performs well in the application test, but its elements have not find out and have not form a complete cultivation techniques yet. So, the performance is unstable. Water conservation and heat preservation properties of bast fiber film mulching are two most important contributions to yield increase. This article has studied on the water conservation and heat preservation properties of bast fiber film mulching and its effects on crops. The study reveals that:1,Bast fiber film mulching conserves soil moisture well. Bast fiber film mulching increases the soil moisture after rain, and reduces the evaporation of surface soil, and maintains a high moisture level, so as to supply a good condition for crops' growth and enhance the water use efficiency.2,Bast fiber film mulching has mild heat preservation property. This mild heat preservation will not burn seedlings and crop root system. The heat preservation effects of bast fiber film mulching in sunny days is better than that in windy and rainy days. The effects in the evening is better than that in the morning and at noon as is different from the effects of plastic film mulching which is that the effects at noon is better than that in the morning and evening.3,Bast fiber film mulching reduced the bad effects on crops of low temperature and drought.4,Bast fiber film mulching promotes the growth of crops. With the bast fiber film mulching, the crop seed germinates quicker; the plant height and stem width develops faster.5,Bast fiber film mulching increase crops yield and improve the quality. With the bast fiber film mulching, the strawberry yield increased more than 40%, the kenaf fiber yield increased 12.17%, the corn dry biomass increased about 27%, and the sugar degree of strawberry fruits increased significantly.