Biocovers compared to competing products

Study 1 - Dendermonde (Belgium)

 

At its own test field in Dendermonde, Belgium,  De Saedeleir is executing a competitive analysis. Different competing weed and erosion control systems have been installed near each other and are surrounded with bark. The goal of this study is to follow up and compare the different weed and erosion control systems. The installation took place in March 2013.

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    Four types of weed control fabrics were tested.                      From left to right:
        
    1. Coir mulch mat with black foil, 530 g/m²
           
    2. Woven PP fabric, UV stabilized, 90 g/m²
           
    3. Jute fabric, 1000 g/m²
           
    4. Biocovers, PLA nonwoven, 157 g/m²

    In front of the slope, we used a layer of bark chips (10 cm)    
    During the test period, no maintenance activities                   were performed.
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  Conclusion after 4 months:

 

  • Bark is not efficient and can even stimulate weed growth. Airborne seeds can anchor and develop on the bark chips.

 

  • The jute fibres start to degrade; on some locations weeds start to develop.

 

  • The other fabrics are performing well.
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  Conclusion after 14 months:    

  • The lifetime of the jute fabric is not sufficient (1). Weeds can easily develop through the mat.
  • The synthetic woven fabric is working well. Some weeds can grow around the pins  (2).
  • The coir fibres are degrading fast; the black foil is clearly visible (3).
  • The Biocovers PLA fabric is meeting the expectations (4); no weeds are growing through the fabric.
  • Bark does not prevent weed growth (5). On some locations, weeds have overgrown the bark completely.
  

 

Here you can download the comparative study in your own language:

 

Comparative study.pdf

Vergelijkende studie onkruiddoek.pdf

Essais comparatifs de paillage.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below you’ll find the pictures of the different competing weed and erosion control systems:

 

Overview of the test field

1/ Jute mat

2/ Cocosmat

3/ Black woven mat (not biodegradable or compostable)

4/ Biocovers (100% PLA - biodegradable and compostable)

5/ Bark

 

Conclusion after 1 year

1/Functionality :  

 

Year 1 (2013)

  • At the beginning all mats function, apart from the jute mat where weeds started growing on within a couple of months.
  • The bark and spun bound or woven fabric does not function at all. Lots of weeds start growing on the bark even after 1 month. Once more it’s proven that bark, although it is optically nice, at the beginning facilitates the growth of weeds.

 

2/ Aspect :

 

Year 1 (2013)

  • The jute mat turned white after 4 weeks and has no natural look at all.
  • The black woven mat is very shiny and has no natural look at all.

 

Year 2 (2014)

  • Moss and algae start growing on the PLA-biomats.
  • The thicker cocos fibres tend to migrate in certain directions and lots of open places without any cocos coverage can be observed. On all these places the plastic layer under the cocos gets clearly visible.
  • Birds were picking the fibers from the jute and cocos mats, especially in the spring season (2013 + 2014).
  • One dead bird was found on the cocos mat as it got entangled in the PE-nets used in the production process of cocos mats.

 

 

Conclusion after 15 months

1/ Jute mat

  • Does not function
  • In year 1 30% of the surface gets covered with weeds, in year 2 almost 80% of the surface gets covered
  • Bad aspect as the mat turns white within the first 2 weeks after installation
  • Birds use the fibers for nestling

 

2/ Cocosmat

  • Functions, but the aspect, even at the end of the first season, is very bad
  • The beginning of year 2 almost all cocos disappeared and the plastic is clearly visible
  • Already in year 2, the plastic starts falling apart

 

3/ Black woven mat (not biodegradable or compostable)

  • Functions
  • Weed only grows where pins have been used
  • Bad and shiny aspect

 

4/ Biocovers (100% PLA - biodegradable and compostable)

  • Functions
  • Weed only grows where pins have been used
  • Good natural aspect

 

Study 2 - Jüchen (Germany)

 

In Jüchen a special test field has been installed in order to make a competitive analysis (test field 2a). On another location inside the park Schloss Dyck the system PP-mat + layer of mulch has been tested (test field 2b).

 

On test field 2a different competing weed control systems have been installed side by side. The goal of this project is to follow up and compare the different weed control systems.

 

On test field 2b the non biodegradable system PP-mat + mulch has been installed at different places around the rhododendron garden.

 

All these installations were realized in March - April 2014 (test field 2a) and January 2014 (test field 2b).

 

Below you'll find pictures of the different competing weed control systems.

 

Overview of test field 2a (pictures taken 2 months after the installation)

Overview of test field 2b (pictures taken 6 months after the installation)

 

Conclusion after 6 months (test field 2b)

1/Functionality : 

 

  • The main goal of using weed control systems is to limit the cost of labour to take away weeds. Using a mat + covering it with bark looks nice at the beginning, but is not effective at all. The bark stimulates the growth of weeds.
  • At the same area biomats have been used without covering them with bark, after 8 months there's only a very limited growth of weeds (mainly at the places where pins were perforating the mat).

 

2/ Aspect :

 

  • Weeds started growing on the mulch within a couple of months
  • There are already several places with excessive weed growth