Most of India's agriculture is depend on rainfall. Considering the seriousness of uncertainty of rainfall, inadequate irrigation facilities and the challenge of higher production from limited agricultural area, there is a need for proper use of water.
With the progress, there has also been a revolution in the use of plastic in agriculture.
Mulching is the act of covering the soil around plants with plastic. This reduces the cost of insecticides along with the control of pests and diseases. It is light in weight and wind & heat resistant and it is easy to lay (spread on) and assemble in the field.
The thickness of mulch depends on the duration of the crop. Plastic mulches are available in different colours. Its colour is chosen according to the purpose.
Transparent mulch helps in raising the temperature in winter. It improves the growth of roots. Black mulch is useful for the prevention of weeds and also for saline soil. Silver colored or white opaque mulch is good for pest control.
Benefits -
It is useful for moisture conservation in rainfed farming. In addition to excessive evaporation of water in the open bed, nitrogen is also lost by flying in the gaseous state.
Useful to reduce the number of irrigations by increasing the interval between two irrigations in the irrigation area.
