Soil-Biodegradable Mulches: What, Why, and Implementation

Jazmine Mejia-Muñoz, M.S.  Water Quality Program Manager, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Jazmine Mejia-Muñoz is a Water Quality Program Manager at the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation on detail for the Water Quality Protection Program at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). There she implements innovative solutions to critical issues affecting the interface of land and marine resources, through stakeholder engagement and education. As part of her interdisciplinary approach, she participates in rangeland restoration efforts, through the Healthy Soils Program. Here she works to demonstrate that land-based practices can improve ocean health by reducing atmospheric carbon and diminishing the rate of ocean acidification and warming. 

In an effort to reduce land to sea marine debris sources, Jazmine leads collaborative efforts to find end-of-life solutions for agricultural field plastics. She works with agricultural stakeholders, including growers, the University of California Cooperative Extension, Washington State University, and California Polytechnic State University to conduct trials of Soil-Biodegradable-Mulch (BDM). Together, the team is researching BDMs as an alternative to non-degradable mulch used vastly in agriculture fields within the MBNMS watersheds. Additionally, with support from The Nature Conservancy and key stakeholders, Jazmine is also working on identifying and communicating ways to increase the recycling rate of drip irrigation tape used in agricultural fields across California’s Central Coast.

Dr. Lisa Wasko DeVetter, Associate Professor, Small Fruit Horticulture, Washington State University

Lisa W. DeVetter is an Associate Professor of Small Fruit Horticulture at Washington State University. Her research program has focused on improving production efficiencies using plastic mulch films in strawberry and raspberry productions systems. She and her collaborative team has also been investigating improved waste management systems for plastic mulch films. 

Dr. Sam Wortman, Associate Professor, University of Nebraska - Lincoln 

Sam Wortman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln where he leads the Grow Local Innovation Lab. His team designs, creates, and tests new methods, ideas, and products to support local specialty crop growers and improve social, economic, and environmental sustainability of local food systems. Current research projects are focused on strategies for reducing and reusing plastic mulch film in vegetable and strawberry crops, and evaluation of biodegradable alternatives to plastic.

Prof. Suzette Galinato, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Washington State University

Suzette Galinato is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Unit at Washington State University Extension. She is an agricultural economist with program areas focusing on farm financial management, and economic feasibility analysis of adopting new technologies, and novel or improved practices in agricultural crop production.

Dan Martens, Vice President, North America, Novamont

Dan Martens is the North American VP for Novamont, a global leader in the research and production of biopolymers. Novamont, headquartered in Novara, Italy is a certified B Corporation ranked in the top 4% globally, and has been awarded the “Best for the World” designation for the last two years. With 2 decades of continued research, Novamont now produces the 5 generation of its Mater-bi biopolymer. Novamont supports BDM research for soil, plant and certification legislation in the EU.

Dr. Shuresh Ghimire, Vegetable Assistant Extension Educator, University of Connecticut

In his role as Assistant Extension Educator and Extension Vegetable and Hemp Specialist for UConn CAHNR Extension, Shuresh Ghimire is responsible for vegetable and hemp extension programs for the entire state of Connecticut. His current research and Extension outreach focus on vegetable and hemp integrated pest management (IPM), climate adaptation, nutrient management in high tunnels, biodegradable plastic mulch, and designing, implementing, and evaluating online courses and web-based materials for Extension audiences.

Shuresh Ghimire obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degree in agricultural science from Tribhuvan University in Nepal. He completed his Ph.D. in Horticulture (2015-2018) from Washington State University where he studied biodegradable plastic mulches for vegetable production.

Prior to working in Washington, Shuresh was a Horticultural Development Officer for the Department of Agriculture in Nepal (2010-2015), where worked extensively with farmers conducting training and plant clinics and created extension publications. Shuresh also served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Horticulture at the Himalayan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in Nepal.

In addition to working as a vegetable specialist at UConn since 2018, when hemp became a regulated agricultural crop in CT, he started working with hemp growers to create and disseminate information regarding hemp production practices and integrated pest management.

Trevor Hardy, Farm Supplies Manager, Systems Engineer and  Assistant Crop Production Manager, Brookdale Farm Supplies

Trevor is a 7th generation fruit and vegetable farmer with a degree in Industrial Engineering. He is the Current President of New England Vegetable and Berry Growers Association, as well as President of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau. He built and operates Brookdale Farm Supplies the largest irrigation and row crop supplies company in New England. His focus is on change in the industry towards no till vegetable production, high density apple production and the implementation of Lean principles on farms.

Rich Uto, Owner, Satsuma Farms, LLC

Rich Uto is the grower-owner of Satsuma Farms, LLC. He is a large-scale grower of organic and conventional strawberries in central California and is a grower-partner with California Giant. He is a leader in the industry when it comes to pioneering and collaborating with researchers on practices designed to improve the sustainability of strawberry growing operations. He is currently trialing new mulch technologies, including soil-biodegradable mulches and mulches with improved recycling outcomes.