Solving the weed problem
The process to develop Liquid Mulch
I started by investigating what the industry was doing at the time. And I investigated what the good points and the drawbacks of the state of the industry were. To do this I did literature research, and I spoke with industry experts. My team and I visited farms, orchards, seed producers and similar companies to truly find out what the issues were and what they were doing to overcome them. In essence, what worked and what didn't work.
What was seen as the solution to the weed problem was biodegradable mulch films that could be placed over the soil to prevent weeds.
These films worked well at reducing the number of weeds and at increasing the soil temperature so that the season could be started earlier but they had their problems.
A black biodegradable mulch film after the growing season, and after the winter. It had to be removed before planting could be done.
Why biodegradable mulch films are not the solution
The biodegradable mulch films were better than polyethene mulch films.
However, these “biodegradable” mulch films had problems. One problem was that these films were very expensive, and despite their name they did not biodegrade. Often, they had to be removed at the end of the season. That was very labor intensive and costly. Additionally, they left microplastics in the soil, another form of pollution. Finally, they were hard to install and needed special equipment to install.
Clearly, a better solution than either polyethylene mulch films or biodegradable mulch films was needed.
Once we had come up with potential solutions, we investigated each one to see what had already been done and what the issues with each solution was. While liquid films had been developed by various Universities and companies, they were all based on petroleum and did not biodegrade. Many also did not work as promised. So, in essence, they were the same as the biodegradable mulch films.
Vineland Research Institute tested the effect of Red Liquid Mulch on the growth of Chrysanthemum plants. They also investigated if Liquid Mulch reduced pest pressure.
As we continued to make improvements to the Liquid Mulch, we continued testing it at our own facility and at growers’ facilities. OMAFRA (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs) was a big aid in helping us get our product tested in the field by real growers and at their own test facilities in the province of Ontario.
Other organizations that have helped us along the way are OAFT (Ontario Agri Food Technologies), the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Agriculture Canada, and the University of Guelph.
In the meantime, Liquid Mulch has been successfully tested and used as a biodegradable mulch film in various provinces in Canada, the United States, Holland, Switzerland, and various countries in South America. And you can find a lot of useful published information that covers the performance and application of Liquid Mulch.
A team of six of our specialists has worked on various aspects of the project to develop Liquid Mulch and perfect it for you.
Even today, we continue to make improvements to the performance and cost effectiveness Liquid Mulch.
A liquid biodegradable mulch film was developed and tested - It was to be more than just a mulch film!
Our solution, that we needed to develop, was a natural, sustainable, polysaccharide-based resin that could resist rain erosion, prevent weeds from sprouting, and still biodegrade within one season. My vision was more than just a film that would cover the soil. Rather, it would become part of the soil, using the soil as part of the film. This way we could advantage of the natural properties of the soil and of the polysaccharide.
Then, in a pragmatic way, we began testing each of the potential solutions. To do this properly I built a Liquid Mulch Research Centre. That center still exists today. It is an indoor facility where we can control the climate, the light, and the growing conditions. We grew various plants and tested the effects of our solutions on the growth of the plants themselves to make sure that there were no negative side effects.
Early trials of our solution were tested at the Vineland Research Centre in Vineland, Ontario, Canada.