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In the U.S., the market for mulch materials is $3.89 billion and growing fast. A 51视频 seed grant is supporting a project to advance research that aims make to biodegradable mulch film more affordable while having it degrade faster in an environment.
On a sunny summer day, a soybean field may seem peaceful, even boring. However, Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Assistant Professor Joy Winbourne knows that something remarkable is going on just out of sight.
Winbourne studies the interactions between plants and soils. She knows that in a soybean field, plants, soil microbes and fungi are working together to wrestle enough nitrogen from the environment to fuel photosynthesis 鈥� the process that turns sunshine, along with water, carbon and other nutrients, into the soy that may wind up in your soy latte.
鈥淧lants are so much fun,鈥� she says.
Winbourne was recently awarded a 2025 51视频 Internal Seed Grant from the Office of Research Development to study how plants and soils interact with a new, sustainable mulch. She is conducting this research with Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering听Yanfen Li, whose previous research is the basis for the new study, and Associate Professor of Plastics Engineering听Grace Chen, who created the new mulch鈥檚 unique formulation.
EEAS Assistant Professor Joy Winbourne received a 51视频 Internal Seed Grant from the Office of Research Development for the work.
Chen achieved improvements in the mulch by incorporating soy-processing waste (the stuff left over when proteins are extracted from soybeans) into an existing biodegradable polymer film. When it came time to figure out if the new mulch was safe for people and plants, Chen turned to Li, who is Chen鈥檚 former grad school colleague as well as a colleague at UML, and who has a passion for gardening and plants.
In the lab, Li and her students found that the compound is safe for humans. Next, she worked with high school students to grow beans in pots, some with the new mulch, and some mulched with the existing biodegradable polymer. They were in for a surprise.
鈥淲e said, 鈥榃ait a minute, the plants are growing better with the mulch,鈥� which was completely unexpected,鈥� Li says. The mystery, then, was what about the new mulch was beneficial to the plants? Could the mulch be providing that all-important nitrogen? But while Li could guess what was happening, to take the research to the next level, the team needed an expert in the interaction between plants and soils.
鈥淭his fun project grew out of mingling and chatting at the university鈥檚 annual faculty symposium,鈥� Winbourne says. Winbourne and Li met there and bonded over their mutual love of plants. Li told Winbourne about the research project; Winbourne told Li that she studied plants, especially how they get nutrients and how they move carbon and water.
鈥淭his is the perfect team,鈥� Li says.听
In addition to perhaps discovering a significant new benefit to using the new formulation of sustainable mulch, the project will create research opportunities for students ranging from high school to graduate school. The university seed grant includes funding for a graduate student to help run the experiment and collect biogeochemical measurements; an undergraduate to take measurements and care for the plants over the summer; and two undergraduates to assist with lab analysis.
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Joy听Winbourne鈥檚 research into sustainable mulch will measure plants鈥� photosynthesis and transpiration rates in real time, using this LICOR 6800 device. It鈥檚 shown here analyzing red oak leaves.
It has also opened up a new research venue for Winbourne, who previously conducted her research outdoors. This project will extend its growing season by using the greenhouse at the Rist Institute Urban Agriculture Farm, which the university runs in partnership with the nonprofit Mill City Grows.
鈥淥ne of my struggles as a professor who studies plants in New England is that the plants are active in the summer, when all the students are gone,鈥� Winbourne says. 鈥淚t has been hard to integrate this kind of research into classes or student research, but the greenhouse lets us start research in the spring semester and continue into the fall semester.鈥�
Like a healthy seed, the project has growth potential. Winbourne says the new mulch could not only influence plant growth, but because of the role of chemical fertilizers in climate change, this organic alternative could also have a global impact.
The researchers, however, keep coming back to the benefits the project will provide to students who want to get hands-on experience conducting research. Winbourne says, 鈥淚鈥檓 excited how this is setting up an infrastructure for future experiments and student work.鈥�