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Use of Plastic Mulch for Vegetable Production

Tiffany Maughan and, Dan Drost (January, 2016)

Summary

Plastic mulch was first used for vegetable production in the 1960's and more growers are using plastics each year because of the advantages they provide. They are used commercially for both vegetables and small fruit crops. Vegetable crops that are well suited to production with plastic mulch are typically high value row crops such as tomatoes, peppers, melons, squash, and cucumbers. Although other crops such as sweet corn, snap peas, and pumpkin may benefit from plastic mulch, the increased costs may not be justified.