{"id":179750,"date":"2026-08-14T07:23:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T05:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=179750"},"modified":"2026-08-14T11:37:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T09:37:41","slug":"biodegradable-plastic-film-protects-roots-from-cockchafer-grub-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/biodegradable-plastic-film-protects-roots-from-cockchafer-grub-damage\/","title":{"rendered":"Biodegradable Plastic Film Protects Roots from Cockchafer Grub Damage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\"Im<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In\u00a0addition\u00a0to\u00a0climate-related\u00a0stresses,\u00a0feeding\u00a0damage\u00a0caused\u00a0by\u00a0cockchafer\u00a0larvae\u00a0and, increasingly,\u00a0by\u00a0the invasive\u00a0Japanese\u00a0beetle\u00a0poses\u00a0a\u00a0significant\u00a0threat\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0success\u00a0of\u00a0large scale reforestation\u00a0efforts. The BioROOTGUARD\u00a0research\u00a0project\u00a0therefore\u00a0aims\u00a0to\u00a0develop\u00a0a biodegradable\u00a0plastic\u00a0film\u00a0that\u00a0protects\u00a0tree\u00a0roots during\u00a0the\u00a0establishment\u00a0phase,\u00a0reducing\u00a0the sometimes\u00a0substantial regional\u00a0losses\u00a0caused\u00a0by\u00a0these\u00a0pests while\u00a0avoiding\u00a0environmental impacts.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To\u00a0achieve\u00a0this\u00a0goal, a\u00a0consortium\u00a0of\u00a0industry\u00a0and\u00a0research\u00a0partners,\u00a0led\u00a0by\u00a0FKuR Kunststoff GmbH (hereinafter \u201cFKuR\u201d),\u00a0brings\u00a0together\u00a0expertise\u00a0in\u00a0materials\u00a0development,\u00a0forestry\u00a0science, and environmental\u00a0research\u00a0within the\u00a0framework\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0BioROOTGUARD\u00a0project. The\u00a0project\u00a0is\u00a0funded by\u00a0the German Federal Ministry\u00a0of\u00a0Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH)\u00a0through\u00a0the Agency for\u00a0Renewable\u00a0Resources (Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, FNR)\u00a0under\u00a0the Sustainable\u00a0Renewable\u00a0Resources\u00a0funding\u00a0programme.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protection\u00a0and\u00a0biodegradability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0first\u00a0step\u00a0is\u00a0to\u00a0develop\u00a0a\u00a0plastic\u00a0compound\u00a0that\u00a0biodegrades\u00a0completely\u00a0in\u00a0forest\u00a0soil\u00a0without leaving\u00a0any residues. The subsequent\u00a0research\u00a0will\u00a0focus\u00a0on\u00a0how\u00a0this\u00a0material\u00a0can\u00a0be\u00a0processed\u00a0into a\u00a0film. During the\u00a0planting of\u00a0young\u00a0trees, the film will\u00a0be\u00a0placed\u00a0around\u00a0the root ball\u00a0to\u00a0provide. protection\u00a0while\u00a0at the same time\u00a0allowing healthy\u00a0root\u00a0development. Once the\u00a0protection\u00a0period has\u00a0ended, the\u00a0biodegradable\u00a0nature\u00a0of\u00a0the film will eliminate\u00a0the\u00a0need\u00a0for\u00a0removal,\u00a0avoiding additional\u00a0labour\u00a0and\u00a0costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond\u00a0its\u00a0purely\u00a0mechanical\u00a0barrier\u00a0function, the\u00a0new\u00a0film\u00a0is\u00a0intended\u00a0to\u00a0discourage\u00a0cockchafer grubs\u00a0from approaching\u00a0the root\u00a0zone.\u00a0To\u00a0achieve\u00a0this,\u00a0natural\u00a0repellents\u00a0will\u00a0be\u00a0investigated\u00a0within the\u00a0project\u00a0framework\u00a0to repel\u00a0these\u00a0larvae\u00a0in an\u00a0environmentally\u00a0friendly\u00a0way.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Dr Antje Birkholz, Head\u00a0of\u00a0R&D and BioROOTGUARD\u00a0project\u00a0manager\u00a0at FKuR<\/strong>,explains:\u00a0\u201cWith BioROOTGUARD,\u00a0we\u00a0are developing a\u00a0solution\u00a0that\u00a0provides protection\u00a0during\u00a0the phase\u00a0when plants\u00a0are particularly\u00a0vulnerable in their\u00a0root\u00a0zone\u00a0and then\u00a0biodegrades\u00a0naturally afterwards. In this\u00a0way,\u00a0we\u00a0combine\u00a0material innovation with\u00a0the\u00a0requirements\u00a0of\u00a0modern forestry and\u00a0woody plant\u00a0cultivation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

FKuR\u00a0Coordinates\u00a0the Development and Implementation\u00a0Process\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the\u00a0project\u00a0consortium\u00a0leader, FKuR\u00a0is\u00a0responsible\u00a0for the\u00a0overall\u00a0coordination\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0research consortium\u00a0and the\u00a0development\u00a0of\u00a0the bio-based\u00a0and\u00a0biodegradable\u00a0plastic\u00a0material. The company\u00a0contributes\u00a0its\u00a0extensive experience\u00a0in\u00a0developing\u00a0bioplastics\u00a0with\u00a0defined\u00a0properties\u00a0and supports\u00a0the\u00a0transfer\u00a0of\u00a0material\u00a0development towards\u00a0potential\u00a0industrial\u00a0applications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Birkholz<\/strong>\u00a0adds: \u201cThe\u00a0development\u00a0of\u00a0a material\u00a0that meets\u00a0technical\u00a0requirements while\u00a0at the same time\u00a0being\u00a0able\u00a0to\u00a0return to\u00a0natural\u00a0cycles\u00a0at the end\u00a0of\u00a0its\u00a0service\u00a0life will\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0the potential that\u00a0modern plastics\u00a0technologies\u00a0can\u00a0offer\u00a0for\u00a0new fields of\u00a0application.\u201dInterdisciplinary\u00a0Research Consortium.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In\u00a0addition\u00a0to\u00a0FKuR,\u00a0specialists\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0fields\u00a0of\u00a0materials\u00a0research,\u00a0process\u00a0engineering,\u00a0forestry science, and environmental\u00a0analysis\u00a0are\u00a0working\u00a0together\u00a0on the\u00a0development\u00a0and\u00a0evaluation\u00a0of\u00a0the protection\u00a0system.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Kelmaplast G. Kellermann GmbH<\/strong>\u00a0transfers the biodegradable compound developed within the project into the manufacturing process and is responsible for producing the protective films.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • HYDRA Marine Sciences GmbH<\/strong>\u00a0evaluates the environmental behaviour of the materials and investigates their degradation in aquatic systems.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Fraunhofer UMSICHT<\/strong>\u00a0analyses\u00a0the material\u00a0properties\u00a0and the\u00a0biodegradation\u00a0behaviour\u00a0of the\u00a0developed\u00a0materials.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The\u00a0Forest Research Institute\u00a0of\u00a0Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg<\/strong>\u00a0(Forstliche Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg,\u00a0FVA)\u00a0conducts\u00a0field\u00a0trials\u00a0and\u00a0evaluates\u00a0the\u00a0protective effect\u00a0under\u00a0real\u00a0forestry\u00a0conditions.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The\u00a0Julius K\u00fchn Institute\u00a0(JKI)<\/strong>\u00a0focuses\u00a0in\u00a0particular\u00a0on\u00a0protection\u00a0against\u00a0the\u00a0larvae\u00a0of\u00a0the invasive\u00a0Japanese\u00a0beetle\u00a0and\u00a0investigates\u00a0potential non-forestry\u00a0applications\u00a0such\u00a0as\u00a0tree nurseries,\u00a0viticulture, and traditional\u00a0orchard\u00a0systems.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"Bundesministerium<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    General Information on the research project BioROOTGUARD <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Project period<\/strong>: June 2026 to May 2029
    Funding<\/strong>: German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH) through the Agency for Renewable Resources (Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, FNR) under the Sustainable Renewable Resources funding programme <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Consortium leader:<\/strong> FKuR Kunststoff GmbH <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Project partners<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    <\/div>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Kelmaplast G. Kellermann GmbH <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • HYDRA Marine Sciences GmbH <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Fraunhofer UMSICHT <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Forstliche Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg (FVA) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Julius K\u00fchn-Institut (JKI) <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      In\u00a0addition\u00a0to\u00a0climate-related\u00a0stresses,\u00a0feeding\u00a0damage\u00a0caused\u00a0by\u00a0cockchafer\u00a0larvae\u00a0and, increasingly,\u00a0by\u00a0the invasive\u00a0Japanese\u00a0beetle\u00a0poses\u00a0a\u00a0significant\u00a0threat\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0success\u00a0of\u00a0large scale reforestation\u00a0efforts. The BioROOTGUARD\u00a0research\u00a0project\u00a0therefore\u00a0aims\u00a0to\u00a0develop\u00a0a biodegradable\u00a0plastic\u00a0film\u00a0that\u00a0protects\u00a0tree\u00a0roots during\u00a0the\u00a0establishment\u00a0phase,\u00a0reducing\u00a0the sometimes\u00a0substantial regional\u00a0losses\u00a0caused\u00a0by\u00a0these\u00a0pests while\u00a0avoiding\u00a0environmental impacts.\u00a0 To\u00a0achieve\u00a0this\u00a0goal, a\u00a0consortium\u00a0of\u00a0industry\u00a0and\u00a0research\u00a0partners,\u00a0led\u00a0by\u00a0FKuR Kunststoff GmbH (hereinafter \u201cFKuR\u201d),\u00a0brings\u00a0together\u00a0expertise\u00a0in\u00a0materials\u00a0development,\u00a0forestry\u00a0science, and environmental\u00a0research\u00a0within the\u00a0framework\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0BioROOTGUARD\u00a0project. The\u00a0project\u00a0is\u00a0funded by\u00a0the German Federal Ministry\u00a0of\u00a0Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH)\u00a0through\u00a0the Agency for\u00a0Renewable\u00a0Resources (Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, FNR)\u00a0under\u00a0the Sustainable\u00a0Renewable\u00a0Resources\u00a0funding\u00a0programme.\u00a0 Protection\u00a0and\u00a0biodegradability The\u00a0first\u00a0step\u00a0is\u00a0to\u00a0develop\u00a0a\u00a0plastic\u00a0compound\u00a0that\u00a0biodegrades\u00a0completely\u00a0in\u00a0forest\u00a0soil\u00a0without leaving\u00a0any residues. The subsequent\u00a0research\u00a0will\u00a0focus\u00a0on\u00a0how\u00a0this\u00a0material\u00a0can\u00a0be\u00a0processed\u00a0into a\u00a0film. During the\u00a0planting of\u00a0young\u00a0trees, the film will\u00a0be\u00a0placed\u00a0around\u00a0the root ball\u00a0to\u00a0provide. protection\u00a0while\u00a0at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":179768,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Led by FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, the BioROOTGUARD research project aims to develop a biodegradable plastic film that protects tree roots during the establishment phase","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[11270,5935,10416,26045,5528],"supplier":[26433,19232,302,1541,303,15590,293,28309],"class_list":["post-179750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-biodegradability","tag-bioplastic","tag-circulareconomy","tag-plasticfilms","tag-sustainability","supplier-bundesministerium-fur-landwirtschaft-ernahrung-und-heimat-bmleh-formerly-bmel","supplier-fachagentur-nachwachsende-rohstoffe-e-v-fnr","supplier-fkur-kunststoff-gmbh","supplier-forstliche-versuchsanstalt-baden-wuerttemberg-fva","supplier-fraunhofer-institut-fuer-umwelt-sicherheits-und-energietechnik-umsicht","supplier-hydra-marine-sciences-gmbh","supplier-julius-kuehn-institut-jki","supplier-kelmaplast-g-kellermann-gmbh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179750"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":180029,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179750\/revisions\/180029"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179750"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=179750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}