Are plastics polluting our fields?

[jwithhens]

I am currently looking into the use of plastics within farming,
My father is a livestock farmer, who started using plastics to cover hay in the 1960s and since then says that the use of plastics have increased within agriculture
Therefore, I would like to look into the use of plastics in agriculture today within crop cover such as plastic mulch film and other uses of plastics. My father said scientists have made us use a lot of plastics since the 1980s and now there's bits of plastics spread all over the fields. Can you still see the effects of previous plastic use?

I'm interested in any farmers experiences with plastic waste within agriculture, and perhaps the use of plastic today on your farms, and the use of new sustainable plastics and if you personally think they're a better alternative or have been detrimental to your fields in any ways?

Any replies would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks,
J

 

[deleted user 837354]

The plastic films you see used in some crops are degraded by UV light. They disappear completely in a couple of years.

 

[bluebell]

plastic is everywhere? judging by the amount we get baled up in straw bales ? roadside fields are a prime cultprit

 

[Goweresque]

The largest amount of plastics in my fields and hedgerows is what the general public throw out of their car windows as they drive past.

 

[Treemover]

I find that plastic ends up in areas where stock is fed, especially from round bales, with twine or netting and especially wrapped bales. Then theres the bits that fall under the wheels along the way. Ploughing and rotovating I find youll hit a spot and end up ages removing the stuff to get going. This isn't just on our farm, but others too.
As a child I only remember fert coming in plastic bags. Twine was hemp and so to was most potatoe and corn bags.

 

[bluebell]

cant believe that some chop straw for cattle and dont remove the net ? seen it on youtube so must be true ?

 

[organicguy]

The plastic films you see used in some crops are degraded by UV light. They disappear completely in a couple of years.

The new "plastics" in mulch may biodegrade but most plastics left about by agriculture just become brittle and break up into microplastics.
Tree guards which do this are my pet hate.

 

[jwithhens]

The new "plastics" in mulch may biodegrade but most plastics left about by agriculture just become brittle and break up into microplastics.
Tree guards which do this are my pet hate.

On the topic of microplastics - do you think there's any specific sites within agriculture where microplastics are highest in soils? Possibly near to feeding stations? Or where plastic films have been used in the past?
The topic of plastics within soils really interests me

 

[Hilly]

Yes .

 

[delilah]

On the topic of microplastics - do you think there's any specific sites within agriculture where microplastics are highest in soils? Possibly near to feeding stations? Or where plastic films have been used in the past?
The topic of plastics within soils really interests me

I think the scariest and biggest issue is sewage sludge. There was a piece on the radio last year about earthworms in soil spread with sludge being thinner than they should be due to having to work harder to get nutrients whilst moving microplastic through their system.
Perhaps this has been discussed elsewhere on here, and is being actively looked at by the industry, but if not then surely it should be as to me it seems a huge issue.

 

[Exfarmer]

cant believe that some chop straw for cattle and dont remove the net ? seen it on youtube so must be true ?

when we used to use a tub grinder in the 1970's , we were feeding bales of all nature and never removed the string. At the time it was believed the cows digested it, I never knew if it was true or not. When we started using a precision chop forager we removed all the string before chopping

 

[farmerm]

On the topic of microplastics - do you think there's any specific sites within agriculture where microplastics are highest in soils? Possibly near to feeding stations? Or where plastic films have been used in the past?
The topic of plastics within soils really interests me

Biosolids contain microplastics. Those sites that have had the most biosolids will likely contain the most microplastics.

 

[Campani]

Have done quite a few litter picks with the fishing club. Silage wrap is by far the most common item picked up. Maybe because it breaks into lots of pieces, or because it gets snagged in trees but always loads of the stuff.

 

[hendrebc]

I do my own fecal egg counting with the sheep. I sometimes see little bits of plastic (baler twine colour blue or pink usually) in the samples. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.

 

[tepapa]

Maize grown under plastic would leave a fair amount of residue you'd have thought.

 

[bluebell]

green waste must be a big plastic polluter of farm land, i walked over some arable land that had a good dose of the green compost and you could see a lot of plastic that cant be screened out?

 

[wanton dwarf]

Compost waste from Brown Bins is FULL of plastic. There's a HUGE amount of waste that should be going into landfill being thrown on our fields.

I was just looking at some ground and it's plastic & rubbish everywhere, I know there's also metal & silver foil in there as well - because I do metal detecting on occassion - as well as cutlery, hammers, batteries, dolls, clothes, boots, dog toys etc.

Can you please do an audit on HMG "Recycling" because it's friggin useless.

 

[Chasingmytail]

we collect the tiny ends of baler twine on the straw bales drive the Mr mad so when we empty pockets they are full. Over the past 6 years we have pulled tons of plastic out of the hedgerows and bedded in sileage wrap. The worse thing we did was have green waste to help us on the compost making - now the fields are embedded with junk plastic (again put in pockets) Its also no hardship to pick up those ends of sileage wrap blown down the field. Plastic lick buckets are usually left in fields to break up and float down streams.

 

[Chasingmytail]

green waste must be a big plastic polluter of farm land, i walked over some arable land that had a good dose of the green compost and you could see a lot of plastic that cant be screened out?

Yes we had it once and never again. The amounts of junk we had to pull out before spreading and picking up bits now. Needs to be screened better

 

[JohnGalway]

I do my own fecal egg counting with the sheep. I sometimes see little bits of plastic (baler twine colour blue or pink usually) in the samples. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.

Not surprised, how many on here have seen cows try to eat a rope or jacket etc. There are small/tiny bits of plastic all over the place we don't see, covered up by growth or plant litter. Not a bit of bother for a sheep etc to injest. I have heard of plastic being found in the flesh of fish even!