COURSE : ORGANIC FARMING (VS-

)
Topic : MULCHING
◤

PROGRAMME : BSC. Horticulture

Submitted To : Dr. SHEHNAZ MUFTI
Submitted By : KUNFAN CHUSKIT
BSH-2018-760. Sec : B
5th sem
CONTENTS :
● Introduction
● Reasons for mulching
● What does mulch do?
● Mulching material & types

Advantages
Disadvantages Advantages
Disadvantages
 INTRODUCTION
In the present situation of globalisation and health
awareness,demand of the virtuous horticultural
crops has also increased worldwide. The
increasing demand for the fruits and vegetables
and market competition has forced the farmers to
produce more and high quality fruits and
vegetables for sustaining in the international
market. Use ◤ of organic mulching is one of the
suitable methods which could help the horticultural
growers to increase the production with good
quality of produce.

Looking to the water scarcity and the challenges

that arise due to climate change , adoption of
organic mulching at large scale by the Indian
farmers would help the farmers to overcome
several problems considering the advantages of
mulching and that too organic mulching.
◤ MULCHING
What is mulching ?
Mulching is the process of covering soil around
the plants with an organic or synthetic material
to create congenial condition for the plant
growth, development and efficient production
The term mulch was first coined by Waggoner in 1960. The word mulch was probably
derived from the German word “molsch” which means soft to decay. It has been
referred to the gardener’s use of straw and leaves, as a soil cover (Jacks et al 1995). It
is also known as Sheet composting.
 ◤ REASONS FOR MULCHING

Mulch is used for following

purposes :-

• To conserve moisture.

• To lower soil temperature

around plant roots.

• To reduce the weed growth

R
O
L
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 ◤
WHAT DOES MULCH DO ?
▪ Mulch insulates and protects soil from drying & hard baking effects caused by
evaporation of water from soil.

▪ It breaks the force of rain & irrigation water, thereby preventing soil compaction.

▪ It prevent splashing of mud & certain plant disease organisms into plants during rain
or overhead irrigation.

▪ The mulch covering excludes light, which prevents germination of weed seeds. So,
fewer weeds provide less competition for using available moisture & nutrients.
 ◤

MULCHING MATERIAL & TYPES

The material used for mulching is known as mulching material. It may be organic or
synthetic.

▪ 1.) Organic mulches - degrade easily and they are locally available usually and are
on-farm produced. There is no issue of post utilization handling. For example:- Leaves,
straw, grass etc.

▪ 2.) Synthetic mulches - are synthesized ones and they need prior work before use
them in the field. They are easily available, easy to handle, transport & lay. For
example:- Plastic films.
 ◤ ORGANIC MULCH

▪ An organic mulch is made up of natural

substance such as bark, wood chips, pine
needles, dry grasses, paddy straw, dry
leaves, saw dust, grass clipping, etc.
▪ Organic mulch attracts insects, slugs and the
cutworms that eat them.
▪ They get decomposed easily and need
frequent replacements.
▪ Grass Clipping
This is one of the most abundantly and easily available mulch materials across the
country.

It provides nitrogen to the soil, if incorporated fresh.However, application of green grass in

rainy season may result into the development of its own root system which will be
detrimental to plant growth. Therefore, use of dry grass as mulch material is suggested.
▪ Straw
Paddy and wheat straw are commonest mulching materials used for fruit and vegetable
production.Though straw is poor in nutrient value but after decomposition, it makes soil
more fertile.

Among organic mulching materials, straw has a long life in comparison to other
mulches (grasses, leaves and leaf mould).
▪ Wood chip mulch
Wood chip mulch is generated from processed and treated timber. This is usually
obtained from packaging pellets. It differs from wood mulch from its source.
▪ Dry leaves
Leaves, an easily available material, are good for mulching. Though leaves are good for
protecting dormant plants during winter by keeping them warm and dry but due to
lightweight they may be blown away even by light wind.

To counter this problem, it requires anchoring which can be done with stones, chipped
bark and covering with net or some form of sheet.
▪ Saw dust
Saw dust, obtained during finishing operation of wood, is very poor in nutritive value as it
contains only half the nutrients of straw. It decomposes slowly. Being acidic in nature, it
should not be used in acidic soils.
▪ Newspaper
Newspaper mulching helps to control weeds. One to two cm thick sheet of newspaper
should be used and edges should be fastened with materials like pebbles, gravels, etc. The
application of newspaper mulch should be avoided on a windy day.
Bark mulch
This type of mulch actually is composed of two types. It can be divided based on whether
hardwood or softwood is used as the mulch. Shredded hardwood that is used as mulch is
a byproduct from industries that manufacture paper. The hardwood bark mulch is
popularly used around trees and plants that are perennial. Softwood bark mulch is also
obtained from lumber and paper industries. One of the common softwood bark mulches is
pine bark mulch. It also takes very long to decompose when compared to other forms of
organic mulch.
Hardwood bark mulch. Softwood bark mulch ( pine bark mulch
Cedar mulch:

This type of mulch is obtained from Junipers, eastern red cedar, western red cedar and
southern red cedar. Junipers grow on alkaline soil while the other cedar trees require a
more acidic kind of soil. Freshly ground cedar repels insects. It decomposes and adds
weak organic acids to the alkaline soil. This helps the plants absorb the nutrients
better.

Red Cedar Mulch

Peat moss mulch:

Also known as ‘Sphagnum peat’, peat moss mulch has gained itself a lot of popularity.
This is because it is known to be long lasting and it comes in neat packaged parcels.
When these types of mulch are wetted, they form a dense crust. This crust forms a barrier
between the atmosphere and ground such that water cannot seep through. It is also a
very high source of carbon.
 Cocoa mulch

These types of mulch are made up of cocoa bean shells. The shells are a
byproduct of the production of chocolate. Cocoa mulch has a number of desirable
properties. It is light, easy to carry and smells like chocolate. Cocoa mulch contains
a naturally occurring stimulant called Theobromine. This stimulant is toxic to dogs
and cats.
O
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N M
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H
What are the Benefits of Organic Mulch?
Choosing the best mulch for your garden depends on personal preference and budget.
Organic mulch gives nurturance to soil and plants mainly because it decomposes over
time. They preserve water and protect from weed growth and assist in stopping soil
erosion.

Improve the appearance of your landscape. One of the best benefits of any mulch is its
ability to retain moisture in the soil and this keeps the soil cooler.

Break down over time and contribute to soil health. This can be very helpful, especially if
your soil fertility is poor. Mulch reduces winter injury and helps with weed control.

Protection from erosion and protection from mechanical injury from weed eaters and lawn
mowers. Organic mulches will slowly decompose and release nutrients into the soil while
improving the soil structure.

Organic mulch also increases the production and also quality fruits. Mulching increases
the soil nutrients, maintains the best soil temperature. Organic matters are beneficial for
the growth of earthworms and soil microorganisms. It is also food for these beneficial
microorganisms.
 ◤
INORGANIC MULCHING
▪ SYNTHETIC MULCHES

▪ The in-organic materials such as plastic films,

when used for mulching, are known as synthetic
mulches or in-organic mulches.
▪ Natural degradation of organic mulches
necessitates the application of synthetic mulches.
So, they are also known as Non-degradable
mulches.
▪ Synthetic mulches are available in different colors
as well as in different thickness. They should be
removed and disposed off at the end of the
growing season.
▪ They are much expensive as compared to
organic mulches.
Plastic mulch

▪ These types of mulch are composed of polyethylene. The polyethylene is a thin sheet
or a layer which forms a layer above the soil.

▪ Since plastic is impenetrable, water, sunlight and nutrients cannot pass through it.
This is why it acts as a great prophylaxis against weeds.

▪ Plastic also helps retain heat. That is why it used to retain and maintain soil
temperatures which can be vital for sprouting seedlings.

▪ Unfortunately plastic mulch does not do well in terms of long term use. This is
because these types of mulch deteriorate when exposed to sunlight.

▪ Plastic mulch is meant to be used only for a single season.

TYPES OF PLASTIC MULCHES
Photo-degradable plastic mulch - This type of plastic mulch film gets destroyed by
sun light in a shorter period.

Biodegradable plastic mulch

This type of plastic mulch film is easily degraded in the soil over a period of time. Generally,
the following types of plastic mulch films are used in horticultural crops.

Black plastic film - It helps in conserving moisture, controlling weed and reducing
outgoing radiation.

Reflective silver film

It generally maintains the root-zone temperature cooler.

Transparent film- It increases the soil temperature and preferably used for solarization.
White plastic mulch
In crops seeded through the black mulch, germination is often reduced, and if plants do
emerge, they can be killed by the excess heat. Another problem is high soil temperatures
under black mulch which can lead to fruit quality issues in tomatoes and peppers.One
solution is to reduce bed temperatures by using white mulches. White mulches can lower
bed temperature by up to 20° F. Use of white mulch increases transplant survival and
increases germination and survival of seeded crops. The cooler soil also can increase
root function and reduce fruit disorders.
Black plastic mulch
◤
Black plastic mulch is the most predominating 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 & encourages plant growth.
Gravel, Pebbles and Crushed stones
The use of stone in landscaping is something almost every gardener/landscaper turns
to. Stone also acts as a really good mulch. Some examples of stones that are used are
crushed gravel, marble chips and even volcanic ash. Stones don’t retain moisture and
they retain a lot of heat which can cause damage to the roots. That is why these types
of mulch work well at a good distance away from plants and trees. Soil is covered with
pebbles to prevent transfer of heat from atmosphere. These materials are used for
perennial crops. Small rock Layer of 3-4 cm provides good weed control. But they reflect
solar radiation and can create a very hot soil environment during summer.
Fabric mulch
There are different kinds of fabrics that are used. Some are synthetic carpets and
others are landscape fabric. Unlike the plastic mulch, the landscape fabric is meant for
long periods of time. This means that these types of mulch can be used across different
seasons. The advantages of the fabric include the fact that it does not allow the growth
of weeds. Since it is porous, it allows both water and air to circulate to the soil below.
Landscape fabrics can be used on their own or they can be combined with organic
mulches.
Advantages

Inorganic mulches are mostly used to create barriers to weeds. While inorganic mulch
doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits to soil like organic mulch does, there are still
other benefits that come with using it. They include:

● Retains moisture
● Minimal need for replacement
● Low maintenance
● Functionally versatile
● Higher availability in most commercial garden centers
Disadvantages
● It takes a lot of manual labor to install and remove rock mulch.It heats up plants
and soil. Excessive use of rock mulch is contributing to the increase in nighttime
temperatures.

● It won’t add organic matter to your soil like organic mulches do.And it doesn’t
suppress weeds.
◤
● You can only use plastic one time if you’re using them during the growing season.
Re-using plastic mulch can increase problems with soil-borne diseases.

● Plastic mulch has a high environmental cost.It’s a one-use item that gets put into a
landfill at the end of the season.

● When you use plastic mulches during the growing season, you must have drip
irrigation installed.
● When to apply mulch??

● Time of application depends on what is expected

to be achieved by mulching. Mulching by providing
an insulating barrier between the soil and the air,
moderate the soil temperature.

● This means a mulched(organic) soil in summer will

be cooler than the adjacent non-mulched soil;
while in the winter the temperature of mulched
soil may not drop as deeply as otherwise it would
have been.
Among the inorganic mulches, use of black polythene sheet of 200 micron thickness
around the tree basins or in strips is common, keeping sufficient vacant space for
working between the rows.

Mulches can be applied late in the winter after the temperature falls below freezing
point but before the coldest temperature arrives.
Applying mulches before the coldest temperature may attracts rodents looking for a
warm over-wintering site.

Delayed applications of mulch should prevent this problem as, hopefully, the creatures
would already have found some other place to nest.
 MULCH vs NO MULCH

◤
COMPARISON BETWEEN ORGANIC & INORGANIC
MULCHES
 Important things to remember.
● Do not apply mulch directly in contact with plants.
● Leave an inch or so of space next to plants to help prevent diseases
flourishing from excessive humidity.
● Remove weeds before spreading mulch.
◤● If you are using crop residue then smaller chips are easier to spread,
especially around small plants.
● There is no need to apply the mulch 6 or 8 inches high, as often is seen. 3-4
inches is sufficient.
● Compost is an excellent material for enriching the soil.
● If You are using fresh wood chips or bark, mixed with a lot of leaves,
composting may be beneficial.
● The clear plastic (an inorganic mulch) acts as a mini-greenhouse, warming
the soil underneath it. So it can be very useful in a cold climate like Canada,
Europe, Russia, etc.
 CONCLUSION
● It is essential to find ways to increase the yield and lessen the cost of
production.

● Mulching, is thus, one of the most important cultural practices which increase
growth, yield and quality of fruits and vegetables crops.

● Due ◤
to multiple beneficial effects by all types of mulches including organic and
synthetic, mulching becomes an inevitable in agriculture production.