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. Removal and disposal of polyethylene mulch in vegetable productionrepresents a high economic and environmental cost to society. This study wasconducted in 2006 and 2007 at Michigan State University to test the eldperformance of new biodegradable mulches using ‘Mountain Fresh Plus’ tomato(Solanum lycopersicum) as a model crop. Treatments included two biodegradablemulches (black and white), each with two thicknesses (35 and 25 mm). A conven-tional low-density polyethylene (LDPE) mulch of 25 mm was included as a control(a mulch commonly used by vegetable growers). Data loggers were installed 2 cminto the soil under the various mulches to record soil temperature. The experimentused a randomized complete block design with four replications. The mulches wereused on a raised bed, drip irrigation system. Mulch degradation, soil temperature,tomato growth, weed density, and biomass were assessed during the seasons.Tomatoes were harvested at maturity and were fruit graded according to marketspecications. Results indicate that soil temperature under the biodegradablemulches was greater than that under the LPDE mulch during the rst week.Starting the second week, soil temperature dropped gradually under all thebiodegradablemulches.Thedropintemperaturewasgreatestwiththewhitemulch.Due to premature breakdown of the white mulches, weed pressure was high,resulting in smaller plants with low yield in 2007. Tomato growth, yield, and fruitquality from the black mulch was equivalent to that in the LDPE mulch. Futurestudies will optimize biodegradability of the mulches and test mechanical layingof the black mulch under commercial production.

Field Performance of Aliphatic-aromatic Copolyester Biodegradable Mulch Films in a Fresh Market Tomato Production System