What is Mulch and What are the benefits of using Mulching Film / Sheets in Sustainable Agriculture?

Mulch is basically a protective layer spread on top of the soil to control the effects of local climatic conditions.  There are two types of mulch material which  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 Films with various mixes of layers, thicknesses and widths and additionally coatings have different properties to suit particular producers’ needs, determinations and yields. These films have a wide range of points of interest to suit an extensive variety of purposes including:

Moisture assurance and water preservation: Spares water and manures by diminishing dissipation and water vacillations in the dirt, and keeps up steady stickiness in the root zone.

Weed control: Fixed or obscure mulch films diminish weed germination and save money on herbicides.

Root improvement: The mix of movies and dribble water system enhances water scattering and adds to keeping up steady levels of dampness in the dirt. What’s more, obscurity under the mulch “raises” root improvement towards ground level. Oxygen accessibility in the upper soil and murkiness give perfect micro climate conditions to root improvement under the mulch.

Modification of micro climates in plant and soil conditions: Straightforward film holds warmth and raises the dirt temperature, which is critical in the fall, winter and late-winter. Dark movies, (for example, dark/silver, dark/dark) lessen the day-night temperature vacillations in the dirt, and dark/white movies mirror the light and upgrade photosynthesis.

Substrate for plants and organic product: The mulch films anticipate coordinate contact between the plants and organic product from one viewpoint, and the dirt then again and in this manner keep up natural product quality.

Pest fascination or repulsing: Intelligent movies (silver looking up) repulse bothers, particularly aphids and outings. Yellow mulch films draw in moths and decrease their bond capacity.

Prevention of manure weakening: In open regions, the utilization of mulch films keeps the weakening of manures which may happen in the root zone territory (particularly in high precipitation micro climate territories).

Additional points of interest incorporate enhanced yields and natural product quality, insurance of trickle water system frameworks against winged creature harm, expanded oxygen accessibility and enhanced shading in red organic products (30% reflection (UV) S/B).

See also:

Advantage and Disadvantage of Greenhouse Farming

Water Management in Agriculture

Advantage and Disadvantage of Drip Irrigation

Crop Rotation for Growing Vegetables