The government's green growth policy is also affecting the agricultural sector. Recently, eco-friendly practices such as carbon neutrality have been emphasized in the agricultural sector, and agricultural materials to drastically reduce environmental pollution are drawing attention. It's paper mulching paper. Until now, most of the plastic materials have been used in mulching (covered the hard surface) that prevents weeds from growing in the furrow of the field.
Paper mulching paper developed by World Eco Co., Ltd. (Chairman Park Joo-won) not only overcomes the shortcomings of vinyl materials in terms of eco-friendliness, but is also superior in economic aspects such as cost and productivity. In fact, after seven years of long research and development, this mulching paper patented by the Korean Intellectual Property Office is more durable than other papers, so it does not tear easily even if it is wet with water. With this tensile force, it is attracting attention as a material to replace vinyl.
Non-rotating vinyl produces environmental hormones during post-collection process and causes soil and air pollution. On the other hand, paper mulching paper has good ventilation, is absorbed into the ground and acts as manure, which rather helps plant growth. In particular, it automatically decays on the ground after three to six months, so it does not have to be collected like vinyl mulching paper. As a result, it is effective in reducing production costs by reducing labor costs, inexpensive material costs, and increasing yields.
The biggest advantage of the paper mulching paper developed by World Eco is that it is 'green'. Despite the government's recent push for eco-friendly policies, such as the launch of the "2050 Carbon Neutral and Green Growth Committee," the infrastructure is not yet properly equipped at the agricultural site.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' "2050 Carbon Neutral Promotion Strategy," greenhouse gas generation in the agricultural sector is expected to continue to occur by 21-37% until 2050. However, it is agricultural waste vinyl that has been pointed out as a key carbon emission factor in the agricultural sector. Although 320,000 tons are generated annually at agricultural sites, only about 250,000 tons, or 79%, are collected, and about 70,000 tons are not collected, which is a major factor in rural environmental pollution.
Currently, agricultural waste vinyl is often treated as illegal landfill and illegal incineration at agricultural sites. Illegal landfills inhibit biodegradation of residual organic pesticides and organic fertilizers, and reduce fertility by inhibiting soil microbial generation and activity. In addition, open-air incineration is the main culprit of pollution of soil, groundwater, and rivers by incineration residues along with air pollution.
In this situation, the invention of the biodegradable paper mulching paper is good news. First of all, paper mulching paper has excellent breathability and permeability with countless breathing holes. That's why the motto of this product is also 'Our Nongso that breathes, our Gangsan that breathes.' With these characteristics, gas generated from the soil is released and acidity and moisture control of the soil is possible. In addition, the soil temperature is kept 3 to 4 degrees lower than the atmospheric temperature, making it suitable for summer cultivation and early spring and late fall facility cultivation.
Also, paper mulching is 100% naturally decomposed in the ground. This product is based on kraft paper, light mica, and starch, and does not use bleach or chemicals at once. Chairman Park Joo-won said, "This paper is made of raw materials that are harmless to humans and nature, and it decomposes naturally after three to six months," and explained, "It is used as an organic fertilizer in the soil without having to collect it."
It also helps to produce organic eco-friendly crops. They say that eco-friendly cultivation is possible by minimizing the use of pesticides by suppressing weed germination by blocking sunlight. In addition, more than 45 kinds of trace elements and carbon are supplied with 200 kinds of acetic acid during decomposition.
World Eco Paper Mulching is not only eco-friendly, but also effective in terms of agricultural costs and productivity. First of all, it is economical because it can reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers. It can also reduce the cost of vinyl collection. In addition, it has a weeding effect of 95 to 99% of the total area of packaging and has a function of suppressing weed germination. In addition, a large amount of minerals can increase the yield.
It also increases crop immunity. Far-infrared emission suppresses soil infectious pathogens and controls 85% pests such as micro-pest, coagulation, and aphids. In addition, it is rich in dissolved oxygen, which inhibits the growth of harmful pathogens by reproducing aerobic microorganisms and prevents the occurrence of harmful fungi due to dead weed decay.
In addition, as an advantage of this material, it can be used not only in mulching land used for field furrows but also in other agricultural fields. In September, Chairman Park Joo-won also patented soil welfare for direct rice distribution and the method of direct rice distribution using it. Chairman Park said, "This method of planting rice seeds at the same time as peeling Mulchingji in rice paddies is possible," adding, "This can dramatically increase the productivity and convenience of rice farming." In particular, he received a patent even for a dedicated transfer machine that partially modified the existing transfer machine for rice planting.
World Eco Paper Mulching has received technical certification from various verification agencies. It was also tested for cultivation at farms such as Godan-ri, Daegi-ri, Gangwon-do, and Jincheon, Chungcheongbuk-do. As a result, the quality was recognized as having a higher texture than vinyl mulching. It also received green technology certification from the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock.
World Eco Biodegradable Paper Mulching has also been approved for use in Goyang City, Anseong City, Jindo County, Yongin City, and Ansan City. In addition, it was approved by Nonghyup and even a code number was released. It is currently being distributed through Nonghyup nationwide.
Chairman Park Joo-won predicted that the product will be used in more diverse fields in the future. "Currently, the use of disposable products such as vinyl is being restricted by law in convenience stores," he said. "In the future, there will be more uses such as paper bags that our products can use instead of plastic."
Writer: Jessy Kim
(Picture from Unsplash)