Plant-biomass-based hybrid seed wraps mitigate yield and post-harvest losses among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa

Structure and composition of BF, OCC and hybrid matrices

We created biodegradable matrices without any chemical additives by simply dewatering a slurry of chopped BF (Fig. 1a,b) and OCC (Fig. 1c,d) individually or mixed in various proportions of BF:OCC as follows: BF, BF only; BO82, 80:20; BO64, 60:40; BO46, 40:60; BO28, 20:80; and OCC, OCC only. The rise in coarseness and distinct fibrous structures with higher BF content in the handsheets (circular sheets with a diameter of 15.2–16.5 cm; Supplementary Fig. 1a) can be attributed to the lack of any harsh chemical treatment that is typically used…