Spray-On Bioplastic Shield Stops Weeds

Spray-On Bioplastic Shield Stops Weeds CROPS Weed Control Herbicide-resistant weeds will be forgotten if Vaishali Sharda is successful with her spray-on bioplastic The Kansas State University researcher recently received a $6 million grant to continue her work using bioplastic to control weeds and reduce soil erosion “Creating a protective layer over soil when growing field crops could help farmers better manage many issues at once ” Sharda said “Covering soil with sheet plastic prevents weed growth erosion and moisture loss but using large amounts of plastic creates waste isn’t eco-friendly and is too costly for field crops ” Sharda’s research focuses on locally sourced types of bioplastics designed to fully break down into safe by-products They could provide a green way to control weeds fertilize crops protect soil and water resources and work with nature to better manage fields “We’re still in the experimental stage of testing biopolymers in the lab and greenhouse as well as in some field trials in Nebraska ” says Sharda “We’re focused on developing biopolymers that will last through the growing season We’re fine-tuning them for color cracking and how they cover the ground over time ” Applied to the soil surface as a liquid at planting the biopolymer is a dark brown color at first Over time it lightens It suppresses weeds but allows the crop to grow “One of our students is working on changing the color in hopes it will reduce cracking ” says Sharda “Our project is funded for 4 years By next year we hope to have an even better formulation for use on soybean fields ” Sharda is working with two differently sourced biopolymers One is produced from chicken feathers while the other yet to be tested is produced from corn stover “We’re working with 12 different formulations of biopolymers and have tested two based on chicken feathers ” The two that have been put to the test were sprayed on soybean fields in Nebraska this past growing season Sharda reports that they degraded but not before the crop had reached the canopy stage The grant came from the National Science Foundation and is for a collaborative research effort Sharda will direct the effort alongside three co-principal investigators from Kansas State University the University of Nebraska and the South Dakota School of Mines Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Vaishali Sharda Kansas State University 1061 Seaton Hall 920 N Martin Luther King Jr Dr Manhattan Kan 66506 ph 785-532-2745; vsharda@k-state edu

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