Sustainable and biodegradable liquid mulch for weed control

Crop production, tree nurseries and green construction are in a dire need for sustainable and environmentally friendly weed control solutions. Our new mulch solution applicable in liquid form is a flexible and effective substitute for plastic and glyphosate. The solution offers significant business opportunities for companies that aim to develop end products for the emerging biobased weed control markets.

Market demand is high for sustainable weed control solutions to replace crop protection agents and plastic

Climate change introduces new pests and weeds in northern regions. At the same time, the aim is to reduce the use of pesticides and black polyethylene (PE) sheeting because they may cause risk to animals, people, and the environment. While there are fairly few sustainable options available on the market to replace their use, new solutions are being sought continuously. The market for pest and weed control is expected to grow steadily in the coming years. Our liquid mulch solution falls into this market segment.

Liquid bio-based mulch is ideal for crop production and green construction

Wood- and plant-based material (wood-based fibres, water, pyrolysis oil) is used in our liquid mulch solution. The mulch solution is biodegradable and leaves no traces of plastics or chemicals in the soil to cause environmental concerns.

Liquid mulch has been effective in our trials as a highly promising substitute for plastic sheeting and glyphosate in various crop production and green construction applications.

Vasemmalla neliönmuotinen ala peitetty muovisella puutarhakatteella ja oikealla samankokoinen ala peitetty nestemäisellä katteella. — Black plastic or biodegradable mulch? Biodegradable liquid mulch applied onto an older lawn has kept weeds under control three months after the start of the trial. A single strong-rooted dandelion has penetrated the mulch layer. Mulch can be left in place to break down without any worry about residues of (micro)plastics.

Advantages of biodegradable liquid mulch:

Reduces the use of pesticides and plastic sheeting
Stops weeds effectively
Ensures crop growth
Reduces the need to remove weeds by hand
Easy to spread by spraying
Biodegradable; does not need to be removed

Uses for liquid mulch:

Biodegradable liquid mulch has various uses. For example, mulch-based end products can be used in:

Green construction
Agriculture
Horticulture
tree nurseries
Seedling production
Home gardens

Nestemäisen katteen käyttökohteet — Uses for biodegradable liquid mulch. Planted lilacs on the left. Mulch applied to birch and spruce seedlings in the middle and on the left.

Good business opportunities for companies to process the mulch into end products for the markets

The need for solutions that can replace glyphosate and plastic is frequently raised in discussions with end users. We are looking for interested companies to discuss a patent and the development of end products for the markets.

We are also looking for research partners, towns and cities in particular, with whom we can study and test more applications and efficacy.

Intellectual property rights and the regulatory path

Patent range for liquid mulch solutions:

Patent application “Mulch composition and its uses” submitted in Finland in 12/2022 and international PCT application submitted in 12/2023.
Patent “Mulch composition, method of manufacturing and related uses” granted in Finland on 15 February 2019, FI127775 (B); national application phase in Europe, Canada and China (granted). The patented product does not require a regulatory approval in Europe. The primary effect of the mulch solution against weeds is physical, and the product is not within the scope of EC Regulation 1107/2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market. The REACH approval is required for pyrolysis oil and biochar production.