Application Of Organic Mulch Research Articles

Improving yield and irrigation water productivity of green beans under water stress with agricultural solid waste-based material of compacted rice straw as a sustainable organic soil mulch

AbstractThis research aimed at water saving in irrigation by applying deficit irrigation using two strategies, standard drip and partial root drying (PRD), while applying organic and plastic mulch over two growing seasons of green beans. A field experiment was conducted in 2022 and 2023, using four irrigation treatments supplying 100% of the irrigation requirement (IRg), 75% IRg, 50% IRg, and 50% IRg—PRD, and four soil mulching treatments: uncovered soil (UC), plastic mulch (PM), rice straw mulch (RSM), and compacted rice straw mulch (CRSM). The combined effect of deficit irrigation strategies and soil mulching showed that the maximum irrigation water productivity (IWP) of 5.56 kg m−3 was achieved under 50% IRg—PRD & CRSM for both growing seasons, followed by 50% IRg—PRD & RSM and 50% IRg—PRD & PM, with 5.19 and 4.96 kg m−3, respectively. The highest yield of 8936 kg ha−1 was achieved with 50% IRg—PRD & CRSM, followed by 8914 kg ha−1 and 8898 kg ha−1 with 100% IRg & CRSM and 75% IRg & CRSM, respectively. The lowest yield of 6009 kg ha−1 was obtained with 50% IRg & UC. The highest soil moisture content was observed under 100% IRg & CRSM. The application of organic mulches was found to be particularly effective in conserving soil moisture due to enhanced infiltration, improved retention capacity, and suppression of weed growth, ultimately fostering optimal crop development and higher yield. The results of soil temperature variations beneath soil mulches showed that CRSM is effective in alleviating plant water stress, lowering the temperature below the cover and reducing water loss through evaporation from the soil surface. The combination of 50% IRg—PRD & CRSM produced plants with enhanced plant height, fresh and dry weight, leaf area, pod length, and green bean weight, as well as the highest vegetative growth indices. Generally, the organic mulching increased soil temperature, soil moisture, IWP, and green bean production.

The application of organic mulch and chicken manure for improving soil water availability and yield of turmeric (Curcuma domestica Val) in an Inceptisol of Jambi, Indonesia

Turmeric (Curcuma domestica Val) is one of the agricultural commodities being developed by the Jambi Province of Indonesia. However, despite the high value of turmeric, its productivity in Jambi Province is low. This is because the crop is mostly cultivated in marginal lands dominated by Inceptisol, which has low fertility and low water availability. Organic mulch and chicken manure have the potential to be used to improve soil water availability and crop yield. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of organic mulch cover and chicken manure on soil water availability and turmeric yield. The treatments tested were combinations of various percentages of organic mulch cover (30%, 60%, and 90%, and chicken manure dosage (0, 5, 10, and 15 t ha-1). The twelve treatment combinations were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. The results showed that the combination of the percentage of organic mulch cover and chicken manure dosage affected soil organic matter content, soil bulk density, soil pore size distribution, soil water availability, and turmeric yield. The application of 30% cover of organic mulch and 10 t ha-1 of chicken manure was found to be the best combination to improve soil available water and turmeric yield. The regression analysis results showed that soil bulk density, organic carbon, fast-drainage pores, and slow-drainage pores simultaneously affected the soil water content, with an R2 value of 0.85. The results of this study proved that soil available water is also closely correlated with turmeric yield.

The Effect Of Groundwater Level And Organic Mulch Application On The Chemical Properties Of Peat Soil


 Peat as agricultural land has various obstacles, one of the problems is the decrease in groundwater level. This can have an impact on the availability of nutrients in the soil. Therefore, water management is an absolute necessity for agricultural activities on peatlands. Another effort that can be made to increase the fertility of peatlands as agricultural land is to use organic mulch. This study aims to analyze the effect of peat water level and application of organic mulch on the chemical properties of peat soil planted with corn. This research was conducted in Air Terbit Village, Riau Province and the Soil Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau, from February to July 2021. This research used a factorial complete randomized design (CRD) method consisting of 2 factors. The first factor was the various heights of the groundwater level which consisted of 3 levels (30 cm, 40 cm and 50 cm), while the second factor was various types of organic mulch (without mulch, mulch of empty oil palm bunches, mulch of rice straw and mulch of corn stover). The results showed that the GWL 30 cm treatment and rice straw mulch increased the pH, Ca and Mg values ​​better than the other treatments, the N element also increased at GWL 30 cm. In general, the two treatment factors also increased the values ​​of P, CEC and Na in some experimental units. C-organic and K values ​​decreased after the treatment compared to the criteria of the soil before treatment.

Effect of Mulching and Drip Irrigation on Water Use Efficiency and Vegetative Growth of Mango under Small Tree System

Mango orchards in Pakistan are mostly irrigated using the basin flood method. A considerable quantity of water is lost from basins and channels through evaporation and seepage. During 2020-21, a study was conducted at Mango Small tree system located in MNS University of Agriculture Multan to examine the effect of drip irrigation systems flow rate and mulching in a split-plot design with two treatments and four replications. Main plot treatments consisted of four drip irrigation systems: Loop, single line drippers, bubbler and double line drippers. Moreover, subplots comprised two levels of mulching: no mulch and organic mulch (hay grass). The plants were irrigated by Drip irrigation on daily basis through Loop drippers of two liters per hour liter per hour (lph), single online line drippers of four lph, bubbler of two hundred lph and double online drippers of four lph discharge capacity from November to March. The drip system at a flow rate of four lph and treated with organic mulch recorded the maximum water use efficiency (6.46 kgha-1mm-1), stomatal conductance (140, 25 mmol-1m-2s-1), sub stomatal conductance (65 mmol-1m-2s-1), leaf photosynthetic rate (6.11 mmol-1m-2s-1) and leaf transpiration rate (1.84 mgm-2s-1). The plant height and scion girth did not show significant differences with changes in water flow rate and organic mulches. The maximum soil temperature (38○ C) was recorded in the non-mulched plot. The application of organic mulches not only enhanced the water use efficiency (WUE) and transpiration rate but also improved chlorophyll contents and the number of flushes.

Pengembangan Kacang Hijau Organik Sebagai Komoditas Pangan Indonesia

Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) is an important legume crops in Indonesia, because it can support food diversity, eventhough the production is lower than the demand. Mungbean can be used for different purposes such as vegetables and meals, therefore good agricultural practices in this case organic farming must be introduced, Organic farming practice by the application of organic mulch can improve the mungbean growth. The use of organic fertilizer which is one of important input in organic farming can increase the mungbean productivity. National mungbean production can be increased by the application of organic fertilizer and the introduction of organic farming in mungbean cultivation can produce more healthy nutritious food materials.

Soil Restoration through the Application of Organic Mulch Following Skidding Operations Causing Vehicle Induced Compaction in the Hyrcanian Forests, Northern Iran

In this study an attempt was made to assess how different mulches affect the soil environment. In particular, different organic mulches such as leaf litter, straw and sawdust were tested in order to assess their capacities to amend the soil conditions. These analyses were carried out in the Hyrcanian mixed broadleaved forest. Organic mulches can compensate the litter layer loss on compaction-induced soil and accelerate the restoration process of soil properties, which takes from a few years to several decades without mulching. However, comprehensive knowledge on the effects of organic mulch on soil quality in terms of compaction-induced soil in the scientific literature is still scarce and inadequate. The main aim of the study was to examine the effects of three organic mulches (leaf litter, straw and sawdust) on the restoration of forestry vehicle-induced soil properties in the skid trail over a 2-year period. The results showed as the values of soil physical and chemical properties in litter, straw and sawdust treatments were significantly restored as compared with the values in the untreated soil. In general, leaf litter supplies nutrients at higher rates than the straw and sawdust mulches. However, according to the current results, a 2-year period is not enough to return the soil physical and chemical properties to pre-traffic levels. Furthermore, the present study shows that organic mulch spread on the surface of mineral soil in the skid trails after machine traffic acts as a fertilizer to accelerate the decomposition of organic matter.

Effect of spread and shallow irrigation wetted area and application of organic mulch on citrus decline amelioration

Citrus decline threatens the orchards in the southern part of Iran. Roots begin to die-out before citrus decline deterioration. In this study, the effect of expanding the irrigation wetted area and decreasing the irrigation depth, and application of compost as organic mulch on root development and amelioration of citrus decline in Valencia orange trees (Citrus scinensis L. Osbeck) was investigated. Experimental factors contained the different percentage of irrigation wetted area and decreasing irrigation effective root depth by drip irrigation system at three levels - control (30-40% with 60 cm effective root depth), 50-60% with 45 cm effective root depth and 70-80% with 30 cm effective root depth under tree canopy area and the factor of annual application of compost as organic mulch at two levels - control (without) and application of 80 kg compost under tree canopy area with 10 cm thickness as ground cover, after rotating the top soil at 10 cm depth for all treatments. The results showed that, annual application of compost as organic mulch under tree canopy area and expanding the irrigation wetted area with decreasing irrigation effective root depth, significantly improved fibrous root length and density at a lower soil depth and decreased the indices of citrus decline such as root rot percentage, leaf and fruit drop and shoot die back. Also these treatments increased the water productivity and fruit quality of in declining Valencia orange trees.

Minimum Tillage and in situ Mulch Increasing the Population and Biomass of Earthworms Under Mung Bean Cultivation on Ultisol Soil

Earthworms are important soil biota that can be used as an indicator of soil fertility. Soil tillage systems and application of organic mulch will affect the activity of earthworms. This research was aimed to study the effect of tillage systems and the application of in situ mulch, and their interactions on the population and the biomass of earthworms. The study was conducted from April to July 2017 at the Integrated Field Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung. The study was arranged in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) in a factorial treatment with two factors. The first factor was the tillage system which consisted of the minimum tillage and the intensive tillage. The second factor was the application of in situ mulch, which consisted of the application of 0 Mg ha-1 or without mulch and the application of 5 Mg ha-1 in situ mulch.The data obtained were tested for homogeneity of variance with the Bartlett Test and its additivity with the Tukey Test. Data were further analyzed for the analysis of variance and for the LSD’s Test at the level of 5%. The relationship between soil temperature, soil moisture content, soil organic-C and soil pH with population and biomass earthworm was tested by correlation test. The results showed that the earthworm population and the earthworm biomass at 80 DAP in the minimum tillage was higher than that of the intensive tillage. The earthworm population for all detected planting stages (before tillage, 40 DAP and 80 DAP) with the of application of 5 Mg ha-1 in situ mulch was higher than that of the application of no mulch. There is no interaction between the tillage system and the application of in situ mulch at 0 DAP, 40 DAP, and 80 DAP. The genus of earthworms found in all treatment plots was genus Pheretima under the family of Megascolecidae.

Maintaining urban landscape health and services on reduced irrigation: a multi-site study in best management practices

Urban landscapes in summer-dry climates face challenges to survival in the face of increasing water-use restrictions. Stringent regulations designed to reduce water use and waste have been established in much of the western/southwestern US due to ever-increasing populations and predictably cyclical droughts. To address this issue in California, the state Department of Water Resources collaborated with University of California researchers and a consulting landscape management contractor to implement conservation measures and best management practices (BMPs) in established urban landscapes across the state to see if these steps were sufficient to maintain acceptable plant health at a targeted water reduction level. Thirty sites in six distinct climate regions, that included parks, universities, private grounds, business parks, and golf courses were initially evaluated for irrigation system status, plant mix, and maintenance practices. BMPs were implemented: irrigation system repairs with improvements and optimization based on initial audit; irrigation scheduling based on climate, microclimate, planting density and species mix; application of organic mulch; and proper fertilization. Site personnel were given guidelines to maintain the BMPs over the period of two years. During this time, periodic observations were made on plant health, and follow-up audits were conducted on irrigation systems. Twenty-one of the 30 sites significantly reduced water use and waste the second year of the project compared to the first year by implementing the BMPs. In the hotter regions, some of the turfgrass areas saw a decline in health at the reduced water level, but shrubs maintained good health and performance at all sites. Failures to meet the reduction goals were generally due to lapses in following the BMPs or system failures that went unnoticed and therefore uncorrected by on-site maintenance personnel. Some sites realized a 50% or more reduction in water use without compromising plant health and accompanying ecosystem services.

Integrated Disease Management of Root Rot of Papaya in Eastern Gangetic Plains of India

The root rot disease is one of the major problems for papaya cultivation in eastern Gangetic plains of India. Field experiments for two years were conducted during 2013–14 and 2014–15 to evaluate the efficacy of cultural practices, agronomical practices along with chemical fungicides applied as soil drenching either individually or in combinations. The experiment was planned to work out the integrated disease management system against root rot disease in papaya, and simultaneously their role in enhancing the fruit yield and its attributes. The results indicated that organic mulch and soil mounding either singly or in combination reduce the disease incidences along with increase in papaya yield and its attributes. Application of organic mulch + soil mounding with fungicide drenching reveals their posi-tive combined effect on reduction of disease inci-dence and severity levels along with increase in fruit yield and its attributes. Integrated approach-es including organic mulch + soil mounding + soil drenching with metalaxyl + mancozeb re-vealed significantly the highest control of root rot disease (97%) along with the highest increase in fruit yield (36%) and its contributing traits. The highest disease incidence (45%) along with the lowest fruit yield/plant (33.28 kg) and its attrib-uting traits were recorded in control during both the years, 2013–14 and 2014–15. Organic mulch and soil mounding is most effective for disease management in the North Eastern Plains Zone (NEPZ), especially in sandy loam soils. Results of the present study elucidate the combined effect of integrated disease management practices (organic mulch + soil mounding and soil drench-ing with metalaxyl + mancozeb) for root rot man-agement in papaya under eastern Gangetic plains of India.

Compost mulch no-tillage systems in organic vegetable production

With growing agricultural demands from both conventional and organic systems comes the need for sustainable practices to ensure long-term productivity. In Hungary small scale vegetable growers face challenges in producing their crops due to the lack of effective weed control practices and viable methods of sustainable soil fertility management based on local or regional soil amendment resources. There is a demand for cultural practices that reduce hand labor requirements and black plastic mulches whereas long-term productivity is held or increased. To identify effective alternative weed control and soil fertility management options for the management of intensive organic vegetable systems, our research focuses on the evaluation of compost and paper mulches, in conjunction with reduced-tillage practices. In 2015 determinate tomato (cv. Roma) is grown in five different soil treatments using yard waste compost (YWC) mulch and combination of YWC and paper mulch (PM) plus bare ground control under intensive and reduced tillage variants to evaluate their effectiveness on organic tomato marketable yield and weed suppression. Since most organic tomatoes at present are grown on small acreage in Hungary, and are direct-marketed, the application of organic mulches can be assumed financially feasible. Our results will show if the combination of organic mulching materials together with reduced tillage may be a viable option for organic vegetable growers. Keywords: alternative weed control, compost, compost mulch, paper mulch, organic, no tillage, vegetable, tomato

Effects of mulching materials on nitrogen mineralization, nitrogen availability and poplar growth on degraded agricultural soil

Nitrogen (N) is usually the most limiting nutrient in degraded agricultural soils and affects the growth and ecological function of poplar (Populus spp.) plantations. We hypothesized that application of organic mulch would improve soil nitrogen availability and increase tree growth, while the quality of mulching materials would alter the supply of essential nutrients. In this study, poplar plantations were established in 2004 and two experiments were established in the field. The fresh above-ground biomass of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv.), oak (Quercus fabri Hance), Chinese coriaria (Coriaria nepalensis Wallich) and brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn. var. latiusculum (Desv.) Underw. ex Heller) in the current year was selected as mulching materials, and mulches were annually applied at the rate of 5.0 kg/m2 in the N mineralization experiment and 20,000 kg/ha in growth and nutrient availability experiment. Additions of fresh biomass significantly improved annual net N-mineralization estimates and the mulching treatments increased the cumulative N mineralized over the incubation period by 22–30%. However, a significant difference in the cumulative N mineralized was not observed among the mulched treatments, even if the cumulative N mineralized in the treatment mulched with oak (QF) was 5.9, 3.3 and 2.2% greater than that of treatments with brackenfern (PA), Chinese coriaria (CN) and cogongrass (IC), respectively. Application of fresh biomass mulch markedly affected soil available N contents and growth performance of poplar plantations. The mulching treatments with QF, IC, PA and CN increased annual means of available N concentration by 39.0, 29.0, 29.6 and 39.7% respectively. At the end of the fifth growing season, the average height of poplar plantations in treatments mulched with QF, IC, PA and CN was 46.8, 14.9, 42.6 and 57.4% greater than that in Check (CK-no mulch), while mean DBH increased by 35.4, 12.5, 33.3 and 52.1%, respectively. Overall, the productivity was enhanced in mulched plots at the end of the third growing season. Compared with CK, the treatments mulched with QF, IC, PA and CN increased total biomass by 97.4, 96.4, 63.1 and 81.6%, respectively. Based on the results of this study, annual application of 20,000 kg/ha fresh woody biomass would be recommended for soil improvement in young poplar plantations growing on a degraded agricultural soil.

Cover Crops and Organic Mulch to Improve Tomato Yields and Soil Fertility

Cover crops and organic mulches (OMs) have been reported as a means to reduce inputs and increase soil quality. A field experiment was conducted to elucidate the effects of summer cover crops and organic compost on winter fresh market tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) yields and quality. Cover crops were sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), and sorghum sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor × S. bicolor var. sudanense (Piper) Stapf.], and compost was applied at 25, 50, and 75 t ha−1. Sunn hemp accumulated up to 190–319 kg ha−1 of N, which was greater than that by sorghum sudangrass (38–110 kg ha−1). The tomato total marketable yields increased 49–82 and 71–85 t ha−1, respectively, in 2 yr. The application of OM at 75 or 50 t ha−1 increased tomato yields compared with that at 25 t ha−1. Yields of extra‐large tomato fruits, especially at the first harvest during the early winter, were improved by growing sunn hemp or applying the composts. However, no interaction between cover crops and OM was observed for tomato marketable yields or quality. Soil organic C increased when OMs were applied compared with the plastic mulch (PM), whereas total soil N and organic C:N ratio were unaffected by any treatment. These results suggest that either the production of cover crops, especially sunn hemp, or the application of compost at high rates can improve winter fresh market tomato yields and quality and advance organic farming.

Optimization of water and nitrogen application to menthol mint ( Mentha arvensis L.) through sugarcane trash mulch in a sandy loam soil of semi-arid subtropical climate

Studies were carried out to optimize the use of water and nutrients by the crop with three moisture regimes [0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 irrigation water:cumulative pan evaporation (IW:CPE) ratios], two variables of organic mulch (control and sugarcane trash at 7 t/ha) and three levels of nitrogen (0, 100 and 200 kg/ha). Soil moisture regimes maintained at 1.2 IW:CPE ratio significantly increased the crop growth and herb and essential oil yields as compared with that of 0.9 IW:CPE ratio. The increase in herb yield due to 1.5 and 1.2 IW:CPE ratios was recorded to be 28.5% and 19%, respectively, over the irrigation given at 0.9 IW:CPE ratio, with the corresponding increase in essential oil yield to the extent of 23.5% and 15.5%. Interaction effect of moisture regimes and nitrogen rates indicated that increasing levels of irrigation at the highest level of N (200 kg/ha) improved essential oil yield of the crop. Application of N at 200 kg/ha in the mulched plots significantly enhanced the N uptake by the crop and essential oil yield over the control and 100 kg N/ha applied in the mulched/or unmulched plots and 200 kg N/ha applied in the unmulched plots. Application of organic mulch and nitrogen at 200 kg/ha improved the water use efficiency (WUE) in menthol mint crop. Higher moisture regimes maintained up to 1.2 IW:CPE ratio increased the WUE. The quality of essential oil in terms of its major constituent, menthol, improved slightly with 1.2 IW:CPE ratio as compared to 0.9 and 1.5 IW:CPE ratios at first and second harvests of the crop. It is recommended that menthol mint crop could be grown profitably by providing 16 irrigations, that is 80 cm water (based on 1.2 IW:CPE ratio) and nitrogen at 200 kg/ha in the sugarcane trash mulched plots, which could give a highest benefit:cost ratio from menthol mint cropping.

Effect of organic mulches on soil bacterial communities one year after application

The application of organic mulches as a soil cover is effective in improving the quality of soil. However, very little information is available on the effect of mulches on the soil microbial community. In this study, we investigated the effect of various organic mulches on soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and microbial community structures in the top 1 cm and 5 cm below the soil surface 1 year after application of the mulches. DHA was stimulated at both depths in plots mulched with grass clippings (GC), but was not significantly different from the control for the other mulch treatments. Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of polymerase chain reaction-amplified 16S rDNA fragments were used to assess changes in the soil microbial community structure. Cluster analysis and principle component analysis of FAME profiles showed that only soil mulched with pine chips distinctively clustered from the other treatments. At the soil surface, bacterial DGGE profiles revealed that distinct shifts in several bacterial populations occurred in soils mulched with GC and eucalyptus yardwaste (EY), while DGGE profiles from soil at the 5 cm depth revealed no distinct changes. Changes in bacterial diversity at the soil surface under different mulches were calculated based on the number of bands in the DGGE profile using the Shannon-Weaver index of diversity ( H). Compared to the control ( H =0.9), the GC- and EY-treated soils showed slightly increased bacterial diversity, with an H of 1.1 and 1.0, respectively. These results indicate that the long-term effect of organic mulches on the soil microbial activity and community structure is highly dependent upon the type of mulch and is mostly exerted in the top few centimeters of the soil profile.

Matted-row Strawberry Production using Landscape Fabrics and Organic Mulch for Weed Control

Three landscape fabrics, Magic Mat®, a heavy black plastic woven fabric with a fuzzy underside; Weed Mat®, a thin black plastic sheet with small holes; and Typar®, a dark gray spun bonded material, with and without a cover of organic oak bark mulch, were evaluated for weed control and ability of strawberry plant roots to establish through the fabrics over a 4-year period. Landscape fabrics reduced weed numbers for the first 3 years in comparison with the bare ground treatment. With few exceptions. the organic mulch did not improve the weed control capability of landscape fabrics. Fruit yield for the Weed Mat and Magic Mat treatments did not differ from the bare ground treatment, but was lower for the Typar treatment when averaged over organic mulch treatments. Fruit yield was higher where the organic mulch was used when averaged over all landscape fabric treatments. Fruit size was slightly larger for the bare ground and smallest for the Typar treatments during the first harvest season, but there was no difference in fruit size by the third year of harvest. Fruit size for the organic mulched plots was slightly larger than that for the unmulched plots the second year of harvest, but there was no difference for the first or third years. The number of strawberry runner plants that rooted and plant row vigor were greater for the Weed Mat, Magic Mat and plots without the landscape fabric than for the Typar plots, particularly in the second and third season. Rooting of runner plants and plant row vigor was better with organic mulch. Landscape fabric tended to reduce extent of rooting, especially in the first season, but it was improved by the application of organic mulch.

Maize yield as affected by irrigation and evapotranspiration control treatments

SUMMARYMaize yield was increased by the application of organic mulch (6 t/ha). Mulched plots treated with any of the antitranspirants (kaolin or alachlor) and receiving two or four irrigations yielded as much as untreated plots receiving four or six irrigations. Cob length, number of grains and grain weight of maize were increased by mulching and by the transpiration suppressants. Irrigation water-use efficiency was improved by evapotranspiration control treatments.