Economic Analysis of Biodegradable Paper versus Plastic Mulch for Organic Day-neutral Strawberry Production in the Upper Midwest

2025/06/10 by Gigi DiGiacomo, Amaya Atucha, E. C. Burkness +3 · 1 voice · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Berry genetics and cultivation research #Plant Disease Management Techniques #Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies

paper · doi:10.21273/horttech05639-25

openalex publication_date 2025/06/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11

Abstract

Field trials were conducted in Minnesota and Wisconsin during 2022–2023 to evaluate production costs and net returns associated with a soil biodegradable paper mulch compared to three polyethylene (PE) plastic mulches in an organic day-neutral (DN) strawberry system. Assessing the economic viability of soil biodegradable mulch is critical for organic growers who may need to transition away from PE plastic mulches to comply with USDA-AMS National Organic Program (NOP) standards. To date, no published research has directly compared the economic performance of NOP-compliant biodegradable paper mulch in organic strawberry production. Our results indicate that while the paper mulch incurred higher initial costs and required more labor for weather-related maintenance, it yielded positive net returns when DN strawberries were marketed through direct-to-consumer channels at premium prices. Despite being the least profitable option overall, the biodegradable paper mulch represents an economically viable alternative to PE mulches under certain market conditions and offers promise for future NOP-compliant organic production systems.

Citations

• Winter Survival and Second-year Spring Yields of Day-neutral Strawberry Are Influenced by Cultivar and the Presence of Low Tunnels
• A critical review of biodegradable plastic mulch films in agriculture: Definitions, scientific background and potential impacts
• The potential effects of microplastics on human health: What is known and what is unknown
• Use of Polyethylene and Plastic Biodegradable Mulches among Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Growers
• Polyethylene and Biodegradable Plastic Mulches for Strawberry Production in the United States: Experiences and Opinions of Growers in Three Regions

Cited by

• Light and shade: the effect of sunlight and artificial light on photosynthesis and yield in strawberry

Discussions

• Biodegradable paper mulch represents an economically viable alternative to PE mulches under certain market conditions and offers promise for future USDA-AMS National Organic Program-compliant organic [bsky, 1 points, 0 comments]

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