Started sales of agricultural mulch sheet using washi manufacturing technology
Nippon Paper Papylia Co., Ltd.
Nippon Paper Papylia Co., Ltd.(President & CEO: Yasuhiko Nishiguchi, Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as "our company" of NIPPON PAPER GROUP is developing agricultural mulch sheets for use in weed control and soil temperature and soil moisture management while utilizing papermaking technology." Washi Multi" from May 1st.
"Washi Multi" uses special paper manufacturing technology, using wood fiber (pulp) and biodegradable plastic fiber as the main raw material, and takes advantage of the characteristics of each. This has advantages that are not found in polyethylene mulch sheets, which are currently widely distributed, such as "suppressing soil temperature rise due to breathability" and "no need for collection by soaking into the soil after use". In addition, it has also obtained a biodegradable plastic mark (registration number 1366), so you can use it with confidence.
Our Kochi Factory has its origins in the production of Tosa washi paper, and by developing its technology, we manufacture high-performance and high-value-added special paper that can be deployed in various fields. "Washi Multi" Mowashi has "light", "strong", "thin"It combines features. The biggest feature is that it enables long-term storage, which is difficult to achieve with biodegradable mulch sheets using only biodegradable plastic resins. In addition, it can be expected to reduce transportation costs and improve the efficiency of setup work due to its light and thin nature.
◎ "Washi Multi"
・Long-term storage
While traditional biodegradable mulch sheets are not suitable for long-term storage due to their deterioration (many products are recommended for use within one year of production), showed little loss of strength even after 3 years in our tests. This reduces the risk of quality degradation due to storage.
・Suppression of soil temperature rise
The breathability of washi paper has the effect of suppressing the rise in soil temperature by about 3~4°C compared to conventional agricultural mulch sheets. It is suitable for growing cool and medium-temperature vegetables that are sensitive to heat and in summer. Through cultivation tests with farmers, universities, and research institutes, good results have been obtained in the cultivation of strawberries, peanuts, radishes, etc. as the main crops at present. Please contact us for other crop conditions.
・Efficiency of agricultural work
Polyethylene mulch sheets need to be collected and disposed of as industrial waste after use, but "washi mulch" is soaked into the soil and returned to the soil, which contributes to the efficiency of farm work and helps solve the problem of aging farmers and plastic waste.
- Market size of agricultural mulch sheets
The market size of domestic agricultural mulch sheets is estimated to be about 40,000 tons/year, of which biodegradable mulch sheets are about 4,000 tons/year, but the output is increasing year by year. There have been agricultural mulch sheets using paper in the past, but they take advantage of the characteristics of washi paper to make them more functional while reducing environmental impact.
◎Future prospects
Currently, in order to make the most of the wood material that is the raw material of paper, the resin is also made of natural materials, and all of them are made of natural products"Washi Multi"We are developing it and aim to sell it in the future. This makes it assumed that biodegradable agricultural mulch can be used even in organic agriculture, which was not previously supported. In addition, since paper is porous, we are considering technologies such as fixing pest repellents and slow-release fertilizers to add value.