An Appraisal of Biodegradable Mulch Films with Respect to Strawberry Crop Performance and Fruit Quality

Giordano, Maria; Amoroso, Ciro Gianmaria; El-Nakhel, Christophe; Rouphael, Youssef; De Pascale, Stefania; Cirillo, Chiara

doi:10.3390/horticulturae6030048

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

An Appraisal of Biodegradable Mulch Films with Respect to Strawberry Crop Performance and Fruit Quality

by

Maria Giordano

,

Ciro Gianmaria Amoroso

,

Christophe El-Nakhel

,

Youssef Rouphael

,

Stefania De Pascale

^*

and

Chiara Cirillo

^*

Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Horticulturae 2020, 6(3), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6030048

Submission received: 29 July 2020 / Revised: 17 August 2020 / Accepted: 19 August 2020 / Published: 21 August 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Horticulturae)

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Abstract

Fragaria × ananassa is a fruit grown all over the world, appreciated for its organoleptic and nutraceutical properties. Together with other berry fruits, it is rich in bioactive molecules that make it a beneficial fruit for human health. However, strawberry cultivation is influenced by pre- and post-harvest factors. Being a small plant, its fruit comes into direct contact with the soil and, as such, can quickly decompose. To reduce this inconvenience, farmers have used different strategies to mulch the soil, and the most useful method is polyethylene mulch films that are not biodegradable. The focus on environmentally sustainable agriculture can be represented by a transition to biodegradable mulch films. In our study, ten biodegradable mulch films were used to understand their effectiveness in covering the soil during the cultivation cycle of strawberry cv. Rociera. Polyethylene film was considered the control. The best yield and the highest number of fruits with greatest size and quality were obtained on polyethylene, BioFlex^® (P2), Bio 6, and Bio 7 films. On BioFlex^® (P2) and Bio 3 biodegradable films, strawberries showed a higher calcium and magnesium content, respectively. These results may encourage growers toward the use of eco-sustainable agricultural practices, such as biodegradable mulch films.

Keywords: sustainable agriculture; marketable production; antioxidant molecules; mineral content; strawberry; weed biomass

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MDPI and ACS Style

Giordano, M.; Amoroso, C.G.; El-Nakhel, C.; Rouphael, Y.; De Pascale, S.; Cirillo, C. An Appraisal of Biodegradable Mulch Films with Respect to Strawberry Crop Performance and Fruit Quality. Horticulturae 2020, 6, 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6030048

AMA Style

Giordano M, Amoroso CG, El-Nakhel C, Rouphael Y, De Pascale S, Cirillo C. An Appraisal of Biodegradable Mulch Films with Respect to Strawberry Crop Performance and Fruit Quality. Horticulturae. 2020; 6(3):48. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6030048

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giordano, Maria, Ciro Gianmaria Amoroso, Christophe El-Nakhel, Youssef Rouphael, Stefania De Pascale, and Chiara Cirillo. 2020. "An Appraisal of Biodegradable Mulch Films with Respect to Strawberry Crop Performance and Fruit Quality" Horticulturae 6, no. 3: 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6030048

APA Style

Giordano, M., Amoroso, C. G., El-Nakhel, C., Rouphael, Y., De Pascale, S., & Cirillo, C. (2020). An Appraisal of Biodegradable Mulch Films with Respect to Strawberry Crop Performance and Fruit Quality. Horticulturae, 6(3), 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6030048

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An Appraisal of Biodegradable Mulch Films with Respect to Strawberry Crop Performance and Fruit Quality

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