Importance of MULCHING

in Vegetable Production

Presented by:
KEVIN M. GODOY
Topic Outline
 What is mulch?
 Mulching
 How mulch works
 Benefits of mulching
 Types of mulches – organic, inorganic mulches and living mulch
 Comparison between organic and inorganic mulches
 Problems associated with improper mulching
 Research findings
 References
 What is Mulch?
 Mulch is any type of material
that is spread or laid over the
surface of the soil as a covering.
 Mulching
is the process of covering soil
around the plants with an organic
and or synthetic material to create
congenial condition for the plant
growth , development and efficient
production (Bakshi et al, 2015)
- first coined by Waggoner in 1960.

- derived from the German word “molsch” which means soft

to decay. It has been referred to the gardener’s used of straw
and leaves , as soil cover (Jacks et al 1995).

-It is also known as Sheet composting.

Benefits of Mulching
Suppress weed germination and growth.
Maintains optimum soil temperature.
Protects the soil from erosion and compaction.
Conserves soil moisture/water. Provides a clean surface for
accessing the garden.
Prevents certain plant diseases and
soil-borne diseases.
Reduces pesticide use.
Prevents fertilizer leaching.
Improves soil fertility and nutrients.
 Types of Mulches
A. Organic B. Synthetic
 Different
Mulching materials
Paper mulch

Corn stalk

Rice straw
Organic mulches
a. Grass clipping
b. Paddy straw
c. Sugarcane trash
d. Saw dust
e. others
 Grass clipping

 Grass has low C:N ratio

 Later on, grass releases
nitrogen to the crops.
 This nitrogen helps in
promoting photosynthesis
and general plant health
 B. Paddy straw
 Paddy straw has a unique property of
not absorbing water, so water is easily
available to plants.
 It introduces weeds as well as create
and environment for pests like slugs
and rodents.
 It has the longest life span among all
the organic mulches
C. Sugarcane trash

 It helps to tide over the drought.

 It conserves moisture and reduces weed
growth.
 This type of mulching should be avoided in
areas where there is incidence of termites.
D. Saw dust
 It has high C:N ratio. It requires
nitrogen from the soil for
decomposition. However, it retains the
moisture for longer periods.
 It is easy to apply and inexpensive. But,
it should be used in well-rotten state for
better results.
E. Others
 SYNTHETIC MULCHES
a. White plastic mulch
b. Black plastic mulch
c. Transparent plastic mulch
d. Degradable mulch
e. Selectively permeable mulch
f. Photo-selective plastic mulch
A. White Plastic Mulch
 It reflects more light to the plant as
compared to black mulch
 It is good for establishing crops under hot
summer conditions
 It has little effect on soil temperature. It
keeps soil temp. down.
 it repels some insects.
B. Black Plastic Mulch
 The most predominant colored mulch used in
plant production and it acts as an opaque
blackbody absorber and radiator.
 It absorbs most UV, visible, and infrared
wavelengths of incoming solar radiation. It
does not allow sunlight to pass through on to
the soil. So, it retards weed growth.
 It warms soil during winter season and
encourages plant growth.
C. Transparent Plastic Mulch
 absorbs little solar radiation but transmits
only 85% to 95% of incoming solar radiation.
 It drastically raises soil temperature and affect
the plant growth adversely. So, it is often
referred as Mini Greenhouse Effect
 It requires herbicides to prevent weed growth
under it.
 Also known as clear plastic mulch
 Soil Solarization with Clear Film
 Soil solarization is an environment friendly method of using
solar power for controlling soil borne plant pathogens. It
can be done by mulching with clear plastic mulch.
 This mulch disinfects the soil in order to reduce soil borne
diseases and some weeds
 Furthermore, this film is quite useful for successful nursery
raising.
D. Degradable mulch
 Degradable mulch has the ability to degrade
after receiving a critical amount of sunlight.
 When the film receives sufficient sunlight,
it become brittle and develops cracks and
holes.
 Eventually, the film break down into small
flakes and disappear in the soil.
 This mulch may be Bio degradable or Photo
degradable.
D.1. Bio- degradable mulch
 Biodegradable plastics are made with
starches from plants such as corn, wheat,
and potatoes.
 They are broken down by microbes.
 Biodegradable mulch performs just as
polyethylene film works on tomato and
pepper crops
 It can simply be ploughed into the ground
after harvest.
 D.2. Photo-Degradable Mulch
Photodegradable mulch film has the same qualities as other black or clear
plastic film, but is formulated to break down after a certain number of days of
exposure to sunlight.

 They are mostly used in USA. They are as follows:

1. Plastigone
It is an ultraviolet activated and time controlled
biodegradable plastic mulch.
2. Biolane
It is an agricultural mulch film designed to
photodegrade, according to a predetermined schedule
into harmless particles. These particles then
biodegrade into carbon dioxide
 Degradation of Plastic Mulch
• During 1st stage of degradation, the film is reduced to a fine powder. This powder
is inert and physiologically harmless to plants, animals and human beings.
• This is followed by continuous shortening of molecular long chain of polymeric
material.

https://www.slideshare.net/
MandeepSaini45/mulching-
128938361
E. Selectively Permeable Mulch
 It is also known as Reflective or colored plastic mulch.
 It allows only certain wavelength of light to pass
through the mulch and warm the soil.
 It discourages weed growth.
F. Photo-selective Plastic Mulch
 Also known as Infra Red Transmitting (IRT) mulch.
 It transmits high proportion of solar infra-red radiation.
 It warms the soil more than black plastic, but cools
soils less than clear plastics. It is effective in reducing
weed growth.
It suppress weed growth
 Problems associated with improper mulching

 On wet soils, deep mulch can lead to

excess moisture in the root zone which
can stress the plant and cause root rot.
 Some mulches, especially those
containing fresh grass clippings can
affect soil pH and eventually lead to
nutrient deficiencies or toxic build ups.
 Many organic type of mulches also encourage and
provide refuge or breeding locations for snails, slugs,
mice, etc. that may attack the plants.

 Certain types of mulches such as hay and straw

contain seeds that may become weeds.
Research Findings
 Mulching in Bottle
gourd

Treatments Yield (tons /ha)

Bare soil 32.07b
Cornstalk 49.02ab
Rice hull 34.17b
Rice straw 60.36a
Paper 38.75ab

Plastic mulch 59.96a

 Mulching in cucumber

Treatments Yield (tons /ha)

Bare soil 88.17c
Cornstalk 109.51b
Rice hull 114.68b
Rice straw 122.12b
Paper 111.18b
Plastic mulch 144.02a
 Mulching in
watermelon
Yield (tons
Treatments /ha)
Bare soil 66.10c
Rice straw 89.42b
Rice hull 110.03a
Paper 112.38a
Plastic mulch 85.27b
 Mulching in Muskmelon
Yield (tons
Treatments /ha)
Bare soil 10.09b
Cornstalk 10.95b
Rice hull 18.83ab
Rice straw 5.2b
Paper 12.88b
Plastic mulch 32.13a
Rerences:
 Singh B (2005) Protected cultivation of vegetable crops Kalyani Publishers New
Delhi 110002 (India).
 Singh J (2014) Basic Horticulture Kalyani Publishers New Delhi 110002 (India).
 https://vric.ucdavis.edu/pdf/soil_solarization.pdf
 https://www.slideshare.net/MandeepSaini45/mulching-128938361

Pictures source:
1. Google chrome.
2. Centre of Excellence for Vegetables,
Kartarpur, Punjab.
3. Practical manual on plastic mulching by
National Committee on Plasticulture
Application in Horticulture.
Thank You! 