Fig. 4: Key mechanisms of plastic mulch benefits.

a conserves soil moisture, increasing availability by 48% in arid/semiarid regions; b improves soil hydrothermal conditions, increasing water use efficiency by 32–56%; c enables intensified intercropping (strip rotations between cool- and warm-season crops, early- and late-maturing varieties, and cereal–legume combinations) with soil temperature increases of 1.2 °C–6.8 °C; d enhances soil microenvironments, boosting enzyme activity by 27% and promoting carbon and nitrogen cycling; e suppresses weeds by 42% through opaque coverage; f increases overall productivity by 28.7% (n = 39,024 paired comparisons).