Innovative Farmers is working with the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience at Coventry University and AHDB Horticulture to develop a field lab with growers to explore alternatives to fossil fuel-derived plastic film mulches.
The aim of this field lab would be to find viable alternatives and participating growers are being sought to trial different types of film and look at other solutions such as loose mulches (e.g. woodchip, grass clippings etc.) or other systems to find the most viable solution for growers and provide comprehensive information about the potential replacements.
We would like to gain your input into the development of this field lab and have compiled a short questionnaire. Please complete the below by copying and pasting into an email including your response and email by Monday 25th November 2019.
1. Name of business
2. Contact name(s)
3. Email address
4. County
5. Please tell us about your business (e.g. growing system, number of employees, annual turnover and area in cultivation (hectares))
6. Please tell us about which crops you are currently using plastic mulches for
- Field vegetables
- Protected cropping (salads, tomatoes, veg)
- Protected cropping (soft fruit)
- Flowers for cutting
- Ornamentals
- Other
7. Are you currently trialling any alternatives to plastic mulches in your business?
- Commercially available biodegradable plastic film
- Commercially available biodegradable paper film
- Woodchip mulch
- Compost mulch
- Grass clippings
- Cardboard/paper (improvised rather than purchased)
- Green manures/cover crops (undersowing)
- Intercropping
- Other
8. What is the main reason for being interested in the proposed field lab?
9. Please confirm if you would consider carrying out a trial within this field lab?