AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON PERFORMANCE OF ECO-MULCH SHEET FROM BANANA PEELS

This study successfully developed and evaluated a biodegradable mulch sheet fabricated from banana peel waste, reinforced with corn flour, plasticised with glycerin, and stabilised with vinegar. The developed sheet exhibited a moderate, agriculturally favourable water permeability (65–68%), substantially improved moisture retention relative to uncovered soil (75% versus 45%), a fairly uniform average thickness of 2.56 mm, an adequate average tensile strength of 0.95 N/mm² for field handling, and complete biodegradation of over three-quarters of its mass within 45 days — returning nutrients such as potassium and organic carbon to the soil during decomposition. These findings confirm that banana-peel-based mulch sheets are a cost-effective, eco-friendly, and technically viable substitute for conventional plastic mulch, simultaneously addressing agricultural waste management and the environmental burden of plastic residues. Future Scope: Future work may focus on enhancing the mechanical strength of the sheet through natural-fibre reinforcement (e.g., coconut fibre), validating performance under real field conditions across full crop cycles, optimising the starch-to-additive ratio to tune the biodegradation rate to specific crop durations, extending the approach to other starch-rich agro-wastes such as rice husk or sugarcane bagasse, and conducting a cost–economic feasibility study to support large-scale adoption by farmers.

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