Organic Mulching in Agriculture, Advantages, Disadvantages

Organic Mulching in Agriculture

Organic mulches are natural origin materials that can decompose naturally, like agricultural wastes which are used as mulch, such as bark chips, grass clippings, wheat and paddy straw, plant leaves, compost, rice hulls, and sawdust, etc. It decays over time and it increases the water holding capacity of the soil. Organic mulches are materials that are or once were living plant materials that are located on the soil surface to prevent erosion, weed germination, and reduce evaporation.

A step by step guide to organic mulching in farming

Organic mulches are more beneficial than inorganic mulches. The choice of organic mulch mainly depends on the user but using an organic mulch means utilizing a material available in the field and it might be degraded and breaks down into organic matter. Organic mulch adds the nutrient in the soil and also increases soil fertility. Mulching is applying plant residues or suitable materials not produced on the site to the soil surface. In organic farming mulch is used in vegetable and fruit production to;

• Conserve moisture
• Prevent surface compaction or crusting
• Reduce runoff and erosion
• Control weeds
• Improve soil quality
• Protect produce quality

Organic mulch can be made of substances that are naturally occurring. Hardwood mulch and hardwood bark mulch are two of the most common mulch. Though, pine needles, leaves, or even grass clippings are things around your yard you can use as mulch. Organic mulch can attract insects, mostly slugs and worms which is great for the soil. Unfortunately, sometimes termites and other annoying pests get into it as well, and usually, organic mulch should be replaced every couple of years.

It provides the soil with nutrients as it breaks down. It improves water use efficiency indirectly. A mulched layer restricts the weed growth by obstructing light penetration to the surface of the soil. Though, among organic materials, there is a wide range of choices each with different characteristics and suitability for different growing conditions.

Organic mulching materials

Some of the organic mulching materials which are commonly used are given below;

Bark

These are good mulch materials as they contain more moisture and retain this moisture for longer periods and helps in the supply of moisture to the growing crop. It is used for vegetation and landscaping, it must be avoided to use in vegetable fields because it is acidic. Though, these mulches are excellent to cover the paths between beds.

There are two types of bark mulch namely hardwood and softwood;

Hardwood – Hardwood bark mulches are one of the common mulches used in countryside plantings. It is a byproduct of the paper and wood industries which can be recycled as mulch. Hardwood bark contains more nutrients than softwood bark, but they are not obtainable easily. The pH level of these types of barks is slightly alkaline.

Softwood – Softwood barks are tough to decay than hardwood barks and its pH is acidic in its reaction. These barks are obtainable in various sizes that fit in many countryside needs. Apply to a depth of 2 to 4 inches.

Grass Clipping

Grass clipping is one of the easiest and abundantly available mulching materials in Indian agriculture. If fresh grass clippings are used in the field, it decomposes simply and increases the percentage of nitrogen in the soil. The different types of grass clipping are available such as green or fresh and dry grass. Generally, green grass clippings are not used in the rainy season because it could change to the development of its own root systems which will be harmful to crop growth. Apply to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Grass clippings can be spread in thin layers across vegetable and perennial beds and turned in at the end of the growing season.

Dry Leaves

Leaves are beneficial for soil and it contributes nutrients when used as mulch. It is widely used in natural forest areas and where plants are plentiful. Dry leaves are the easily and abundantly available and it makes better mulch if it composted. Though dry leaves are not easily available in the spring season, they are valued as over­winter mulch. To restrict the blowing of dry leaves, small branches and wood barks are kept over the dry leaves mulch. The thickness of the dry leaves mulching is about 3 to 4 inches. Gather copious amounts of dry, fall leaves, and use them in vegetable beds immediately after collecting them.

Sawdust

Sawdust in the organic mulching, obtained during finishing operation of wood and furniture is poor in nutritive value as it contains only half the nutrients of straw. It decomposes slowly. Being acidic in nature, it must not be used in acidic soils. Sawdust is a common type of mulch in areas that were easily available. It is found during the finishing operations of wood, it has less nutritive values and it has half of the nutrients than straw. Due to the high C: N ratio, the decomposition is very late and its decay will cause a deficiency of nitrogen in the soil, so regular fertilizer application is necessary. Its nature is acidic, so it must not be used in the acidic type of soils. Though, it retains moisture for longer periods.

Straw

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Straw is ideal for mulching as it is easily applying infield, stays in place, and reflects sunlight which helps to bear fruit in some vegetables. It is used as winter protection and as summer mulch in vegetable fields. These mulches give great insulation, water penetration, and weed control. The advantageous property is that it does not contain weed seeds itself.  Straw mulches are avoided to use in high traffic areas due to its highly inflammable properties and the thickness of the straw mulching is about 6 ­ 8 inches.

Compost/Manure

The compost is good mulch and soil conditioner it can simply prepare or form at home by composting different types of waste materials such as leaves, straw, grass and plant residues, etc. The application of compost in Indian agriculture is old age practice. It improves the soil properties such as physical, chemical, and biological properties and enhances the carbon content which improves the water retention capacity of the soil. Compost is the good material for improving soil health and it should not be used in the vegetable field because they have too much nitrogen and it may contain weed seeds. The excellent use of compost is at the time of bed preparation or as ‘top dressing’ thinly in the early part of the season. It used as mulch in some nutrient loving plants like roses. Apply at a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Compost not only builds soil texture, tilth but also has nutrients that leach immediately into the soil and it works the same way as every other mulch. Use generous amounts from compost bin for the ultimate in mulch for the vegetable garden.

Leaf mulch

Leaf mulch can be created at home by composting shredded leaves and it can be used in all garden beds. Leaves that may be infected with the scab, leaf spot, or anthracnose must be disposed of instead of composted for mulch.

Newspaper

Layers of black and white newspaper can be mainly used to suppress weeds. Apply 2 to 3 layers at a time and cover with an organic material such as leaf mulch or grass clippings to hold it in place. Newsprint will eventually decompose and then incorporated into the soil.

Some other types of organic mulch are;

Alfalfa – It is an excellent type of mulching material because it is cut before it can put out seeds. As a mulch, it is nutritive for the soil because it contains high nitrogen and it has also long-lasting ability.

Seaweed – Seaweed makes excellent mulch if it freshly collected and it contributes mineral into the soil. Seaweed shrinks a lot as if it dries, so, the thick layer must be applying in the field. Before applying in field seaweeds must be sprayed by freshwater to minimize the brings of salt in the soil.

Cocoa bean hulls – It is a good mulching material to increase soil fertility. It contains nitrogen, phosphate, and potash. It is acidic in nature, the pH level of 5.8. It is used in the landscape due to its sweet smell and also attractive appearance.

Mushroom compost – It is an organic plant fertilizer available in areas where it must be grown commercially. It is available in the market as spent mushroom compost or spent mushroom substrate. It is reasonably inexpensive and it increases the fertility of soil due to its rich nutrient values. Then, this type of compost increases the water retention capacity of the soil.

Peanut hulls – These are the organic mulches which are used in fields as a mulching material. Also, farmers using the other many crop residues available in the field as mulch.

Advantages to organic mulch

• Organic mulch provides nurturance to soil and plants because it decomposes over time. They conserve water and also protect from weed growth and aid in stopping soil erosion. Organic mulch can greatly improve the appearance of your landscape.
• Any organic mulch is better than inorganic mulch. Over time, organic mulches will slowly decompose and release nutrients into the soil and also improve its structure.
• Organic mulches keep the soil cooler and retain moisture levels more than inorganic mulches. However, because organic mulch decomposes, it could need to be replenished more frequently than inorganic mulch.
• Organic mulches are improved the soil characteristics and it improves the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. These mulches are slowly decomposed, and increase organic content in the soil which helps to keep the soil loose. These organic contents become food for the useful earthworms and micro-organisms available in the soil.
• The organic mulches improve organic carbon in the soil. It facilitates the root development and extraction of nutrients from a deeper layer of the soil. It improves root growth, increases the infiltration of water, and water retention capacity of the soil.
• Organic mulch can greatly improve the appearance of your landscape. One of the main benefits of any mulch is its ability to retain moisture in the soil and this keeps the soil cooler.
• Organic mulches break down over time and contribute to soil health. This can be very helpful, especially if soil fertility is poor. Organic mulch plays an important role to reflect solar radiation and this keeps soil cooler and helps to prevent evaporation.
• If organic mulch covered with soil suppressed the weed germination as they do not get light that needs to germination and growth. It reduces the soil erosion, as the wind or running water does not directly come in its contact and does not blow or wash it away.

Effect of organic mulching on vegetative growth

The application of organic mulch increases crop growth such as earliness flowering, fruit set, and harvesting period also it increased the number of flowers and fruits in tomato crop over control. Maximum plant height and a maximum number of plant leaves are observed in plots mulched with 4-inch wheat straw. And, a maximum number of fruits per plant are observed in mulching with grass. The yield of the plant was more in drip-irrigated crop with mulch than comparing with drip alone. Between the different operation tried, and the drip-irrigated with straw mulch applied crop was recorded the highest growth in plant height in all the years.

The production of groundnut pod and haulm yields more in straw mulch than the black or transparent polythene mulch and no mulch condition as favorable soil moisture and temperature, earlier seedling growth, more and earlier flowering, lower bulk density and minimum weed growth. The yield of fruits was almost comparable in both mulched treatment in trash mulch 7.5 tonnes/hectare and in sawdust mulch 7.6 tonnes/hectare while in the control plot recorded 5.2 tonnes/hectare.

Which organic mulch should be used in a vegetable garden?

Your mulch choice will vary depending on the type of crop. Some vegetables do best in very hot conditions; for these, using black plastic covered by a type of organic mulch selected for its aesthetics would be appropriate. For vegetable plants that are better off in cooler conditions, one of the organic mulches alone is an appropriate choice.

Effect of organic mulching on crop production

The yield and starch content of potato were higher by 27.9 percentages and 18.18 percentages respectively under paddy straw mulch compared to the un-mulched plot. The yield of tomato and okra increased by about 100 and 200 % in straw mulch (6 t/ha) applied condition than over control treatment. The Okra production was much higher in straw mulch applied condition than dust mulch applied condition. The drip plus sugarcane trash mulch treatment has recorded a 53 percent higher fruit yield.

Limitation of organic mulching

• Organic mulches can keep the soil too moist, restricting oxygen in the root zone on poorly drained soils.
• If mulch is applied close to or in contact with the stem, trapped moisture makes an environment conducive to the development of diseases and pests.
• Certain types of mulches such as hay and straw contain seeds that become weeds.
• After many benefits it has also some limitations, they can keep the soil too moist on poorly drained soils and restricting oxygen in the root zone. If it is applying near to or in contact with the stalk, the trapped moisture makes an environment conducive to the growth of diseases and pests.
• Many of organic mulches cause the breeding spots for insects and pests. Mulches such as hay and straw contain seeds that become weeds. These organic mulches are easily biodegradable, and they can serve for a short period.

Disadvantages of organic mulch

The disadvantage is that organic mulch can attract termites and bugs. As a result of it decomposing, you will need to re-apply every few years.

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