What is Mulching?
- Mulching is the agronomic practice of covering the soil surface with crop wastes, tree leaves, dry grasses, polythene, crushed stones, and other materials to conserve soil and water and promote plant growth.
- Mulching is one of the soil conservation strategies that have been beneficial in reducing soil and water losses in agricultural regions.
Advantages
- The mulch serves as a permanent or semi-permanent protective layer over the soil surface.
- Mulching shields the soil from the impact of raindrops, thus decreasing water and soil loss.
- Mulching also increases water intake and storage while improving infiltration capacity.
- It increases earthworm activity, adds nutrients to the soil, improves soil structure and organic matter content, and minimises water loss through evaporation.
Disadvantages
- 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 creates an environment conducive to development of diseases and pests.
- 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.
