Mulching is an effective agricultural technique that improves crop growth and yield. However, applying of plastic mulch confronts challenges related to mismanagement and disposal costs after harvest. Alternatively, bioplastics have emerged as a sustainable technique, which offer similar functionality to conventional plastics and it is environmentally friendly. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of biodegradable mulch as a sustainable alternative to plastic mulching film on tomato yield and growth under Penjwen district environment in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The research involved six variants: white biodegradable mulching, black biodegradable mulching, white polyethylene mulching, black polyethylene mulching, straw mulch and control (no mulch). The study employed an experimental design (CRBD) under open field condition. Moreover, ANOVA statistical analyses were used for the interpretation of the results. The data revealed that bare soil has the lower soil moisture (31.8 cb in July). On the other hand, the highest temperature (23.5 °C) was recorded under white polyethylene mulch. It was noted that while black biodegradable mulch had the highest tomato yield (29 t/ha). Furthermore, the shoot length in the case of white polyethylene mulch has significant difference compared with the other treatments. Consequently, it can be recommended that biodegradable mulch can be applied for cultivation as sustainable ecofriendly technique, the white one being an appropriate alternative.
RAHEEM et al. (2026) studied this question.