Resistance of biodegradable organic pot to combat soil and atmospheric moisture

The composition of biodegradable organic materials significantly influences the moisture resistance of pots under both soil and atmospheric conditions. The primary objectives were to fabricate biodegradable pots for seedling use, assess their durability under varying moisture exposures, and determine the duration of resistance before structural degradation. The pots were produced from shredded newspaper pulp molded with tapioca starch into six pot shapes. These were exposed to three environmental conditions: buried in soil, placed in a moist atmosphere (with and without daily watering), and positioned on wet egg cartons to simulate capillary moisture exposure. The findings revealed that pots not exposed directly to moisture exhibited the longest resistance. Pots placed in moist atmospheric conditions degraded within approximately seven days, whereas those buried in soil resisted decomposition for up to 31 days despite exposure to fluctuating weather conditions. The study also found that pot wall thickness significantly influenced decomposition rate, with thicker-walled pots demonstrating enhanced durability. These results suggest that biodegradable pots can be optimized for environmental resistance through structural and placement considerations.