Research has found that combined, plastic mulch, a farming method used to suppress weeds, and plastic drip irrigation, which are polyethylene domes around produce to trap moisture, can increase local temperatures by 0.7 degrees Celsius (1.26 degrees Fahrenheit) and increase humidity by almost 25 percent, according to The Guardian.
Shujing Qin and Wuhan University colleagues used a weather forecasting model to analyze plastic mulch and drip irrigation’s impact in poor crop-growing regions. The model was then run over five growing seasons to find local temperatures and humidity increased. They presented their findings at the Frontiers in Hydrology Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico in mid-June.
This temperature increase can be compared to the effect that irrigation alone could have on the environment: lowering temperatures by 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.34 degrees Fahrenheit). The article also suggested that the plastic-induced changes are significant enough to increase local rainfall, and potentially regional weather patterns. Full Story
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