Showing posts with label Dry Mulching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dry Mulching. Show all posts

Oct 5, 2015

Benefits of Mulching Technique in Agriculture



Benefits of Mulching Technique in Agriculture
Mulchor Mulching is the common word in most of the agriculture related farming or cultivation. Mulch is basically a protective layer spread on top of the soil to control the effects of local climatic conditions.

Benefits of Mulching :
Mulch helps to adjust soil temperature during hot summer and winter seasons
Mulch helps to retain soil moisture by slowing evaporation process
Some live mulch material help in nitrogen fixing the soil
Mulch helps to control weeds by blocking sunlight
Mulch helps to control soil erosion
Mulch helps to add organic matter and soil nutrients through the gradual breakdown of mulch material used

Two types of mulch material is commonly used to retain water or moisture, they are
Dry Mulch and Live Mulch.

Dry Mulch– Commonly used mulch items are hay, straw, leaves, waste papers, sawdust and wood chips.

Live Mulch– Fast growing cover crops such as velvet beans that will suppress the weeds and help in nitrogen fixing the soil.

Poly mulching sheets, Mulching sheets and films are also available in the market.

Mulching is very useful in the areas where water scarcity is high. Mulch height should be 2 to 4 inches to effectively retain the soil moisture for long period.

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