07 Jul 2022 --- Plastic use in industrial-scale farming is likely contributing to climate change, according to recent research from Wuhan University, China. Polyethylene (PE) is commonly used to irrigate and mulch croplands in large arid areas. However, the combination of temperature and humidity changes incurred by these methods was shown to impact rainfall cycles and increase heat and moisture at dramatic levels. Shujing Qin and other university researchers decided to investigate plastic’s influence on the climate since “drip irrigation under mulch” (DM) in croplands has become a typical technology, largely due to it providing suitable soil moisture and thermal conditions that can promote crop growth.
