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Alternative Mulching Solutions in Market Gardening : trial campaign
AUTHOR : Margaux KERDRAO, Market Gardening Experimentation Engineer, Melon Sector Reference, CTIFL
While everyone agrees on the need to improve the environmental impact of mulches, it is essential to thoroughly understand and master the alternative solutions that could be implemented. This is the goal of the SOPAM project (Alternative Mulching Solutions in Market Gardening) concerning biodegradable mulches.
Plastic mulches are widely used because they offer many benefits such as controlling weeds, evaporation, erosion, and soil temperature. While these films are recyclable, recycling options in France are very limited, particularly for highly contaminated films. In this context, biodegradable mulches represent a viable alternative today. These products, consisting of polymers and fibers¹, are materials that are buried at the end of the growing season and degrade under the action of soil microorganisms. They contribute to a genuine reduction of waste at the source.
The sopam project
The SOPAM project (2021-2023), led by CTIFL (Interprofessional Technical Center for Fruits and Vegetables) and co-managed by CPA, has a budget of €527k over three years. It is financed 80% by CASDAR (Special Agricultural and Rural Development Fund) and involves eight experimental sites, melon producers, manufacturers of biodegradable pellets, and biodegradable film processors. Each station tests several biodegradable polymer mulch options certified to FR EN 17033 on crops such as melon, squash, zucchini, lettuce, and industrial tomatoes. The degradability aspects of these certified mulches are evaluated under controlled conditions with fixed and known parameters (including pH and temperature). SOPAM helps gather the missing agronomic references under growing conditions while integrating environmental, social, and economic dimensions. In parallel, CTIFL tests fiber-based mulches, such as paper and hemp.
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