I'll admit, I'm not a big fan of inorganic mulches.
|
|
Because the plants are grown in a multi-layered system, it self-mulches.
|
|
Recycled rubber, plastic pellets, and plastic sheeting are used to create inorganic mulches.
|
|
We've tested these five garden mulches for durability, sun-fading, ease of use, and, of course, price.
|
|
Natural mulches include tree bark, sawdust, wood chips, chopped autumn leaves, pine straw, oyster shells, cocoa bean shells, crushed and natural stone, and even newsprint.
|
|
An industrious gardener pulling up dead annuals could expose them to the cold, and one who mulches too deeply could block their escape in spring.
|
|
In addition, weeds can germinate and grow without competition. Living mulches can reduce water runoff and erosion, and protect waterways from pollution. Living mulches have also been shown to increase the population of organisms which are natural enemies of some crop pests. Living mulches control weeds in two ways.
|
|
Hartwig N.L., H.. Ammon 2002 Cover crops and living mulches Weed Sci. 50: 688-699 Legumes used as living mulches also provide nitrogen fixation, reducing the need for fertilizer.
|
|
Mulches may be organic or synthetic. Organic mulches consist of plant by products such as: pine straw, wood chips, green waste, compost, leaves, and grass clippings. Synthetic mulches, also known as ground cover fabric, can be made from materials like polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyester. The effectiveness of mulching is mostly dependent on the material used.
|
|
WCGN maintains the plants, mulches and prunes the fruit trees.
|
|
There are disadvantages to using plastic mulches in crop production as well.
|
|
Organic and synthetic mulches may be used in combination with each other to increase the amount of weeds controlled.
|
|
Plastic mulches reduce the amount of water lost from the soil due to evaporation. This means less water will be needed for irrigation. Plastic mulches also aid in evenly distributing moisture to the soil which reduces plant stress. Plastic mulching film create a barrier of photosynthesis and avoid to rise of other plants.
|
|
These authors established Smooth Meadow-grass (Poa pratensis) and white clover (Trifolium repens) as living mulches since they did not cause reduction of yield corn (the accompanying main crop).Nicholson, A.G., and H.C. Wein. 1983. Screening of turfgrasses and clovers for use as living mulches in sweet corn and cabbage . J. Am Soc. Hort. Sci.
|
|
Unfortunately, living mulches compete for nutrients and water with the main crop,Echtenkamp, G. W, and R. Moomaw 1989 No-till corn production in a living mulch system Weed technology 3: 261-266 and this can reduce yields. For example, Elkins et al. (1983) examined the use of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis), and orchargrass (Dactylis glomerata) as living mulches. They found that herbicides killed 50% to 70% of the mulches but corn yield was reduced 5% to 10% at the end of the harvest.
|
|
Dry leaves are used as winter mulches to protect plants from freezing and thawing in areas with cold winters; they are normally removed during spring.
|
|
Irrigation frequency is depending on weather and crop's growth stage from once or twice a week to daily during hot weather periods. Weeds are a serious challenge in tomatillo production and especially important during the first few weeks. Plastic and organic mulches help to effectively control weeds. Applications of plastic mulches also help to restrict soil water evaporation and modifying microclimate, thereby affecting tomatillo growth and yield.
|
|
Some organic mulches are colored red, brown, black, and other colors using synthetic additives. Isopropanolamine, specifically 1-Amino-2-propanol or monoisopropanolamine, may be used as a pigment dispersant and color fastener in these mulches. Types of mulch which can be dyed include: wood chips, bark chips (barkdust) and pine straw. Colored mulch is made by dyeing the mulch in a water-based solution of colorant and chemical binder.
|
|
In 1993 the Glenlee Composting Facility commenced operation on the site, producing soil mixes, mulches and topdressing material for rehabilitation of the coal facility and for the horticultural and landscaping industries.
|
|
40:87-91 Populations of ground-dwelling predators were greater in a corn and soybean rotation with alfalfa and kura clover living mulches than without a living mulch.Prafiska J. R, N. P Schmidt, and K.A Kohler, 2006 Effects of living mulches on predator abundance and sentinel prey in a corn-soybean-forage rotation Env. Entomology 35: 1423-1431 This situation was due in part to a change in the composition of vegetation in the agricultural system.Andow 1991.
|
|
Living mulches were tested in a no-till corn- production systems with two methods for establishing grass and legume living mulches (grass and legume) between corn rows. In 1985, there was no difference between drilling and broadcasting seeds by hand in that study. However in 1986, drilling resulted in higher populations (97 plants m-2) than broadcasting (64 plants m-2), likely because of precipitation levels. Precipitation should be considered because farmers have no control over it.
|
|
Sowing seed through mulches containing a cardboard/newspaper layer is impractical. Application of newspaper mulch in windy weather can be facilitated by briefly pre-soaking the newspaper in water to increase its weight.
|
|
Mulches also help preserve soil moisture and keep roots cool. Heavy rains, particularly after prolonged dry periods, can also cause roots to split, onion saddleback (splitting at the base), tomatoes split and potatoes to become deformed or hollow. Using mulches or adding organic matter such as leaf mold, compost or well rotted manure to the soil will help to act as a 'buffer' between sudden changes in conditions. Water-logging can occur on poorly drained soils, particularly following heavy rains.
|
|
Rubber mulch provides some advantages over plant mulches. For landscaping and gardening purposes, both nuggets and buffings insulate soil from heat, allowing a 2 or 3 degrees F higher soil temperature difference over wood mulches. Rubber mulch is beneficial for soil moisture, as rubber is non-porous and does not absorb water on its way through to the soil. It also reduces fungus growth and plant growth, and becomes a weed barrier, as weed seeds dehydrate in the mulch before reaching the soil.
|
|
Neither nuggets nor buffings provide any humus to compacted soil types. Rubber mulch seen with playground equipment in the background Another advantage over plant-material mulches is its elasticity, which gives it a springy quality when used in a fairly thick layer. This makes it a choice for playgrounds, where the springiness provides additional safety for children when they fall off of playground equipment. Tests have shown that rubber mulch is superior in breaking fallsEPA playground surface to traditional bark mulches.
|
|
Plastic mulches prevent sunlight from reaching the soil which can inhibit most annual and perennial weeds. Clear plastics prevent weed growth. Holes in the mulch for plants tend to be the only pathway for weeds to grow.
|
|
Plastic mulches keep ripening fruits off of the soil. This reduced contact with the soil decreases fruit rot as well as keeps the fruit and vegetables clean. This is beneficial for the production of strawberries, for example.
|
|
Agron J. 93:27-36 The mulches included velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens) jackbean (Canavalia ensiformis), jumbiebean (Leucaena leucocephala) and wild tamarindo (Lysiloma latisiliquum). Aqueous extract of Velvetbean reduced the gall index of Meloidogyne incognita in the roots of tomato, but suppressed tomato rooting as well. In addition, Velvetbean suppressed the radical growth of the local weeds Alegria (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) by 66% and Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) by 26.5%. Nicholson and Wien (1983) suggested the use of short turfgrasses and clovers as living mulches to improve the resistance soil compaction.
|
|
In Mexico, legumes used traditionally as living mulches were tested as nematode and weed suppressors.Caamal-Maldonado J.A.,Jimenez J.J., Torres A., Anaya A. 2001. The use of allelopathic legume cover and mulch species for weed control in cropping systems.
|
|
Stropharia aeruginosa in nature park Jesenicko, Czech Republic This mushroom is common in grassy woods, and on roadside verges in Britain, Europe, Asia (Iran) and parts of North America, growing on rotting wood. It particularly favours wood-chip mulches in gardens, and parks.
|
|
Where it has been embraced it has pushed aside slash and burn agriculture, and allowed farmers to use the same land continuously for many years. Cornell University has taken a leading role in researching the effects of mulches and slash/mulch practices in the tropics.
|
|
When they are seeded before weed establishment, they suppress weeds by competition.Hartwig N.L 1977 Nutsedge control in no-tillage corn with and without a crownvetch cover crop. Proc. Northeast. Weed Sci. Society 31: 20-33 In some situations, the allelopathic properties of living mulches can be used to control weeds.
|
|
Because they compete with the main crop, living mulches may eventually need to be mechanically or chemically killed.Brandsaeter, L. J. Netland, and R. Meadow 1998 Yields, weeds, pests and soil nitrogen in a white cabbage living mulch system, in Biol. Agric. Hortic. 16: 291-309Tharp, B. e., and J. J. Dells.
|
|
Hall J, L. Hartwing, and L. Hoffman 1984 Cyanazine losses in runoff from no-tillage corn in "living mulch" and dead mulches vs. unmulched conventional tillage. J. Envoron. Qual 13: 105-110 The reduction of water runoff and erosion is one of the greatest advantages of having a cover crop.
|
|
Mulches, erosion cloth and seeding retard overland flow and protect soil from rain drop impact and increase soil moisture holding capacity. Landscape structures (e.g., log erosion barriers, contour trenches, straw wattles) trap sediment and prevent slope rilling. Strip tillage and chemicals break up or reduce hydrophobic soils and improve infiltration.
|
|
January 1998 Also Lavenders flourish best in dry, well-drained, sandy or gravelly soils in full sun. All types need little or no fertilizer and good air circulation. In areas of high humidity, root rot due to fungus infection can be a problem. Organic mulches can trap moisture around the plants' bases, encouraging root rot.
|
|
Organics may consist of materials such as biosolids, timber, forestry residuals, manure or abattoir waste. Soil conditioners, potting mixes, mulches and manufactured soil are examples of possible reuses. The industry is progressing in this sector, with major improvements deriving from the green-lid bin introduction. Construction and development of the processing facilities are increasing.
|
|
For example, the allelopathic properties of winter rye (Secale cereale), ryegrasses (Lolium spp), and subterrain clover (Trifolium subterraneum) can be used to control weeds in sweet corn (Zea mays var "rugosa") and snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).De Gregorio R. E. and R.A. Ashley. 1986. Screening living mulches/ cover crops for no-till snap beans. Proc. Northeast. Weed Sci. Soc.
|
|
Biodegradable mulches are made out of plant starches and sugars or polyester fibers. These starches can come from plants such as wheat and corn. These mulch films may be a bit more permeable allowing more water into the soil. This mulch can prevent soil erosion, reduce weeding, conserve soil moisture, and increase temperature of the soil.
|
|
The employees with disabilities learn sustainable, chemical-free growing practices such as crop rotation to prevent soil depletion, composting, using beneficial insects to manage crop-damaging insects, spreading mulches to suppress weeds and using disease-resistant cultivators. Hattie's Gardens maintains garden locations at Old Trail School in Bath, Ohio and the Akron Zoo in Akron, Ohio.
|
|
Tembien holds numerous prehistoric sites, which have been dated to the Middle Stone Age in Ayninbirkekin,The accumulation of Stone Age lithic artifacts in rock fragment mulches in northern Ethiopia or Pastoral Neolithic in Aregen and Menachek.Agazi Negash. (1997). Preliminary Results of Archaeological Reconnaissance of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, Nyame Akuma, 47, 27-32.Agazi Negash. (2001).
|
|
The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association has certified some rubber mulches for ASTM F1292-09.IPEMA Certification Description Rubber mulch formally reduces the regional and global carbon footprint by reusing materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. Its durability can be up to twelve times greater than wood mulch, with wood mulch lasting an average of four seasons.
|
|
After establishment, care and maintenance required are fairly minimal (provided mulches and similar things are used), such as watering or weed control maybe once a week. ; Zone 4 : A semi-wild area. This zone is mainly used for forage and collecting wild food as well as production of timber for construction or firewood. ; Zone 5 : A wilderness area.
|
|
Raised vegetable beds covered in plastic mulch. Plastic mulch is a product used, in a similar fashion to mulch, to suppress weeds and conserve water in crop production and landscaping. Certain plastic mulches also act as a barrier to keep methyl bromide, both a powerful fumigant and ozone depleter, in the soil. Crops grow through slits or holes in thin plastic sheeting.
|
|
Straw from the previous crop mulches the topsoil. Each grain crop is sown before the previous one is harvested by broadcasting the seed among the standing crop. Later, this method was reduced to a single direct seeding of clover, barley and rice over the standing heads of rice. The result is a denser crop of smaller, but highly productive and stronger plants.
|
|
The rehabitation of degraded soils in eastern Bolivia by subsoiling and the incorporation of cover crops. Land Degr. Rehab. 5:247-259 This is because legumes used as living mulches have greater N contents and a low C to N ratio. So when legume residue decomposes, soil microbes have sufficient N available to enhance their breakdown of organic materials in the soil.
|
|
2001 Delayed burndown in no-tillage glyphosate-resistant corn (Zea mays) planted into soybean (Glycine max) residue and a wheat (Triticum aestivum) cover crop. Weed Technol. 15: 467-473 It is important to judiciously select the appropriate herbicide rate for burning down a living mulch. In 1989, Echtenkamp and Moomaw found that herbicide rates were inadequate to suppress all the living mulches.
|
|
Plant Cultures (2004-11-18). Retrieved on 2013-07-29. The gardens of the New Guinea Highlands are ancient, intensive permacultures, adapted to high population densities, very high rainfalls (as high as 10,000 mm per year (400 in/yr)), earthquakes, hilly land, and occasional frost. Complex mulches, crop rotations and tillages are used in rotation on terraces with complex irrigation systems.
|
|
Plants create macropores that allow water to infiltrate (left), whereas desertification seals the surface, prohibiting infiltration and leading to rainwater runoff (right). A land imprinter seeds grasses in the desert of the southwestern United States. The roller mulches existing ground cover and grass seed directly into the soil, without tilling. Much of the world depends on grassland for the grazing of domestic livestock.
|
|
Conversely, some intercropped plants provide living mulch effect, used by inhibiting the growth of any weeds that are actually harmful, and creating a humid, cooler microclimate around nearby plants, stabilizing soil moisture more than they consume it for themselves. Plants such as ryegrass, red clover, and white clover are examples of "weeds" that are living mulches, often welcomed in horticulture.
|
|
In the tropics, it is common to seed tree crops with living mulches such as legume covers in oil palm plantations,Broughton W.J., 1977. Effects of various covers on soil fertility under Hevea brasiliensis and on growth of the tree. Agro-Ecosys. 3:147-170 coconutAldaba F.R., 1995. Coconut production in the Philippines: problems and prospects. Plantatios, Recherche, Developpement Sept-Oct:15-18 and rubber (Watson 1989).
|
|
With this mulch it is important to take into consideration that it's much more delicate than other kinds. It should be placed on a day which is not too hot and with less tension than other synthetic mulches. These also can be placed by machine or hand but it is ideal to have a more starchy mulch that will allow it to stick to the soil better.
|
|
These mulches are commonly used in many plastics. Polyethylene is used mainly for weed reduction, where polypropylene is used mainly on perennials. This mulch is placed on top of the soil and can be done by machine or hand with pegs to keep the mulch tight against the soil. This mulch can prevent soil erosion, reduce weeding, conserve soil moisture, and increase temperature of the soil.
|
|
English lavender is commonly grown as an ornamental plant. It is popular for its colourful flowers, its fragrance, and its ability to survive with low water consumption. It does not grow well in continuously damp soil and may benefit from increased drainage provided by inorganic mulches such as gravel. It does best in Mediterranean climates similar to its native habitat, characterised by wet winters and dry summers.
|
|
Crushed stone or 'road metal' is used in landscape design and gardening for gardens, parks, and municipal and private projects as a mulch, walkway, path, and driveway pavement, and cell infill for modular permeable paving units. As a mineral mulch its benefits include erosion control, water conservation, weed suppression, and aesthetic qualities. It is often seen used in rock gardens and cactus gardens.Cornell University: Gardening Resources - mulches.
|
|
Reused wood to eliminate the need for full-size new lumber if used for smaller building components. Repurposed or recycled wood can be used in pathways, coverings, mulches, compost, animal bedding, or particleboard. Using recycled wood as a bioenergy feedstock is advantageous because it has lower water content, about 20% water, compared to virgin lumber, about 60% water. Drywall Drywall is made primarily of gypsum.
|
|
108:1071-1076 In one study, chewing fescue or red fescue (Festuca rubra) and ladino clover (Trifolium repens) were effective living mulches for controlling weed growth. Unfortunately, these cover crops also competed with corn for water which was particularly problematic during a dry period. The possibility of using ladino clover (Trifolium repens) as a potential living mulch was also mentioned; however, this clover was difficult to kill with herbicides in winter.
|
|
Therefore, the mulches competed with the main crop for resources. In some cases, the clover could not be killed at the first herbicide application, so a second application was needed. For another treatment, rates that were so high that they caused the cover crop to be killed too rapidly, so that broadleaf weeds invaded the corn. This study suggested that the timing and dosage of herbicide should be carefully considered.
|
|
Many materials are used as mulches, which are used to retain soil moisture, regulate soil temperature, suppress weed growth, and for aesthetics. They are applied to the soil surface, around trees, paths, flower beds, to prevent soil erosion on slopes, and in production areas for flower and vegetable crops. Mulch layers are normally or more deep when applied. They are applied at various times of the year depending on the purpose.
|
|
Groundcovers are plants which grow close to the ground, under the main crop, to slow the development of weeds and provide other benefits of mulch. They are usually fast-growing plants that continue growing with the main crops. By contrast, cover crops are incorporated into the soil or killed with herbicides. However, live mulches also may need to be mechanically or chemically killed eventually to prevent competition with the main crop.
|
|
Later, at a party, Athena arrives, mulches Adam's peach trees, kisses him, and announces her intention to marry him. She also decides, after a numerological calculation, that Adam's friend Johnny Nyle (Vic Damone) would be perfect for her sister, Minerva (Debbie Reynolds). Athena returns to Adam's house the next morning, to the shock of Adam's fiancée. Adam promises to tell Athena that he has no romantic interest in her, but finds she has left.
|
|
Mulches or ground covers also allow the soils to absorb more water by reducing compaction. The use of white or pale gravel is also practiced, as it reduces evaporation and keeps soil temperatures low by reflecting sunlight. In addition to reducing water loss at the sink, there are also more sustainable ways to harvest water. Many modern small (non industrial) farmers are using rain barrels to collect the water needed for their crops and livestock.
|
|
Psilocybe allenii is found in the northwestern North America, with a range extending from British Columbia south to Los Angeles, California. It is most common in areas up to from the Pacific coast, although it has been collected inland. Fruitbodies grow scattered, in groups, or (more rarely) in clusters, on woody debris, such as wood chips often used in landscaping. Favored substrates include hardwood mulches made of oak, eucalyptus, Douglas fir, and alder.
|
|
They colonize wood-based mulches and may throw black, sticky, spore- containing globs onto nearby surfaces. The fruiting bodies of several earthstars are hygroscopic: in dry weather the "petals" will dry and curl up around the soft spore sac, protecting it. In this state, often the whole fungus becomes detached from the ground and may roll around like a tumbleweed. In wetter weather, the "petals" moisten and uncurl; some even curl backward lifting the spore sac up.
|
|
The use of mulches can help decrease erosion, decrease water evaporation from the soil, as well as improve the soil structure by increasing the amount of organic matter. Tillage practices can help decrease compaction and aerate the soil. On the other hand, tillage has also been shown to decrease soil moisture, increase soil erosion and runoff, as well as decrease soil microbial populations. Solarization can cause changes in the biological, physical, and chemical properties of the soil.
|
|
Ultimately this can reduce the amount of work a farmer may have to do, and the amount of herbicides applied during the growing period. The black and clear mulches capture sunlight and warm the soil increasing the growth rate. White and other reflective colours will also warm the soil, but they do not suppress weeds as well. This mulch may require other sources of obtaining water such as drip irrigation since it can reduce the amount of water that reaches the soil.
|
|
Organic mulches often smell like freshly cut wood but sometimes they start to smell like vinegar, ammonia, sulfur or silage. This happens when material with ample nitrogen content is not rotated often enough and it forms pockets of increased decomposition. When this occurs, the process may become anaerobic and produce phytotoxic materials in small quantities. Once exposed to the air, the process quickly reverts to an aerobic process, but the anaerobic metabolites may be present for a period of time.
|
|
The Kid's Backyard exhibition garden There are five exhibition gardens aiming to demonstrate ways that Australian native plants can be used in the home garden. The Diversity Garden illustrates a variety of native plants from various climatic zones in Australia. The Water Saving Garden shows how to group plants with similar water needs and choose plants which require minimum watering in a garden. The Future Garden features various alternate ways of gardening, such as special plant choices and novel mulches.
|
|
Aquaria and plastic tubs are often used for younger tortoises, while a "tortoise table" (similar to shelf- less bookcase lying on its back), indoor minigreenhouse, or large indoor pen can be used for larger tortoises or groups of tortoises. An indoor habitat should be lined with a substrate such as hardwood mulches (like cypress), coconut coir, soil and sand mixes, or some combination. A hide and water dish are necessary, and live or silk plants also help.Ebenhack, p. 57-61.
|
|
Ultimately this can reduce the amount of herbicides used and manual labor farmers may have to do throughout the growing season. At the end of the season these mulches will start to break down from heat. Microorganisms in the soil break down the mulch into two components, water and carbon dioxide, leaving no toxic residues behind. This source of mulch is even less manual labor since it does not need to be removed at the end of the season and can actually be tilled into the soil.
|
|
In agriculture and gardening, mulch is a protective cover placed over the soil. Any material or combination can be used as mulch, such as stones, leaves, cardboard, wood chips, gravel, etc., though in permaculture mulches of organic material are the most common because they perform more functions. These include absorbing rainfall, reducing evaporation, providing nutrients, increasing organic matter in the soil, feeding and creating habitat for soil organisms, suppressing weed growth and seed germination, moderating diurnal temperature swings, protecting against frost, and reducing erosion.
|
|
The incineration and recycling options are complicated by the variety of the types of plastics that are used and by the geographic dispersal of the plastics. Plastics also contain stabilizers and dyes as well as heavy metals, which limits the number of products that can be recycled. Research is continually being conducted on creating biodegradable or photodegradable mulches. While there has been a minor success with this, there is also the problem of how long the plastic takes to degrade, as many biodegradable products take a long time to break down.
|
|
Soil fertility can be managed sustainably by the use of many layers of vegetation from trees to ground-cover plants and mulches to increase organic matter and therefore earthworms and mycorrhiza; nitrogen- fixing plants instead of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers; and sustainably harvested seaweed extract to replace micronutrients. Sustainable landscapes and gardens can be productive as well as ornamental, growing food, firewood and craft materials from beautiful places. Sustainable landscape approaches and labels include organic farming and growing, permaculture, agroforestry, forest gardens, agroecology, vegan organic gardening, ecological gardening and climate-friendly gardening.
|
|
From 1997 until 2011, Simon Leake served as a Member of the Standards Australia CS/37 committee, which developed and maintains the Australian standards AS 3743 Potting Mixes, AS 4454 Composts, Soil Conditioners and Mulches, and AS 4419 Soils for Landscaping and Garden Use. Simon Leake is a member of the Royal Botanic Gardens Trust Gardens Committee, a voluntary expert reference panel assisting the Trust in the design, technical specification and implementation of planning at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Mount Annan Botanic Garden and Mount Tomah Botanic Garden.
|
|
Mulches, cover crops, compost, manures, vermicompost, and mineral supplements are soil-building mainstays that distinguish this type of farming from its commercial counterpart. Through attention to good healthy soil condition,National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service on healthy soils Retrieved 2009-3-8 it is expected that insect, fungal, or other problems that sometimes plague plants can be minimized. However, pheromone traps, insecticidal soap sprays, and other pest-control methods available to organic farmersOrganic pest control strategies Retrieved 2009-3-8 are also utilized by organic horticulturists. Horticulture involves five areas of study.
|
|
Vegetative cover as living mulches protect soil against wind and water erosion. Plants should form a mantle or thick mulch that protect soil from detachment. Living mulches intercept raindrops and reduce runoff. The protection that such vegetation provides against wind is influenced mainly by the amount of biomass that covers the ground (differs with each spp), plant geometry and row orientation.Trohen F and J.A. Hobbs 1991 Soil and water conservation 1991 4:83-84 and 5: 108-109 Prentice Hall Inc. Englewood Cliffs, NJ In one experiment, water runoff and soil loss on a 14% slope was compared for rototilled (RT), no-till with corn stover mulch (NTCMS), no-till in CSM+ birdsfoot trefoil living mulch (NT-BFT) and no till in CSM and crownvetch living mulch (NT-CV). The results indicated that the water runoff was 6,350 L ha-1 for NT-BFT, 6,350 L ha-1 NO-CSM, 5,925 L ha-1 for NT-CV, and 145,000 L ha-1 for RT. The soil loss for the RT was 14.22 t ha-1 while with the other treatments it was less than 0.5 tons ha-1. The least soil loss was obtained with NT-CV 0.02 tons ha-1.
|
|
Cardboard or newspaper can be used as semi-organic mulches. These are best used as a base layer upon which a heavier mulch such as compost is placed to prevent the lighter cardboard/newspaper layer from blowing away. By incorporating a layer of cardboard/newspaper into a mulch, the quantity of heavier mulch can be reduced, whilst improving the weed suppressant and moisture retaining properties of the mulch.Patrick Whitefield, 2004, The Earth Care Manual, Permanent Publications, However, additional labour is expended when planting through a mulch containing a cardboard/newspaper layer, as holes must be cut for each plant.
|
|
The total water used in an agricultural field includes surface runoff, drainage and consumptive use. The use of loose mulches will reduce evaporative losses for a period after a field is irrigated, but in the end the total evaporative loss (plant plus soil) will approach that of an uncovered soil, while more water is immediately available for plant growth. Water use efficiency is measured by the transpiration ratio, which is the ratio of the total water transpired by a plant to the dry weight of the harvested plant. Transpiration ratios for crops range from 300 to 700.
|
|
The runoff from pesticides and chemicals in the plastic can cause serious deformations and death in shellfish as the runoff carries the chemicals towards the oceans. In addition to the increased runoff that results from plasticulture, there is also the problem of the increased amount of waste from the plastic mulch itself. The use of plastic mulch for vegetables, strawberries, and other row and orchard crops exceeds 110 million pounds annually in the United States. Most plastic ends up in the landfill, although there are other disposal options such as disking mulches into the soil, on-site burying, on-site storage, reuse, recycling, and incineration.
|
|
Towards the beginning of the growing season, mulches serve initially to warm the soil by helping it retain heat which is lost during the night. This allows early seeding and transplanting of certain crops, and encourages faster growth. As the season progresses, mulch stabilizes the soil temperature and moisture, and prevents the growing of weeds from seeds. In temperate climates, the effect of mulch is dependent upon the time of year they are applied and when applied in fall and winter, are used to delay the growth of perennial plants in the spring or prevent growth in winter during warm spells, which limits freeze thaw damage.
|
|
The most effective way to control Corn Stunt is early planting. Although Corn Stunt can impact corn planted in early months like April or March, the greatest damage affects corn planted after July. Chemicals like insecticides can be used to control D. maidis, however, the use of this method to control Corn Stunt is not very successful. In sweet corn, reflective mulches can be an effective way to control D. maidis and the disease it vectors, compared to insecticides. Mulching should be performed early in the plant’s development to properly control this disease, as greater damage happens if the plant host is younger when infected with Corn Stunt disease.
|
|
Potatoes grown in a tall bag are common in gardens as they minimize the amount of digging required at harvestNew tubers may start growing at the surface of the soil. Since exposure to light leads to an undesirable greening of the skins and the development of solanine as a protection from the sun's rays, growers cover surface tubers. Commercial growers cover them by piling additional soil around the base of the plant as it grows (called "hilling" up, or in British English "earthing up"). An alternative method, used by home gardeners and smaller-scale growers, involves covering the growing area with organic mulches such as straw or plastic sheets.
|
|
Clathrus ruber is a species of fungus in the family Phallaceae, and the type species of the genus Clathrus. It is commonly known as the latticed stinkhorn, the basket stinkhorn, or the red cage, alluding to the striking fruit bodies that are shaped somewhat like a round or oval hollow sphere with interlaced or latticed branches. The fungus is saprobic, feeding off decaying woody plant material, and is often found alone or in groups in leaf litter on garden soil, grassy places, or on woodchip garden mulches. Although considered primarily a European species, C. ruber has been introduced to other areas, and now has a wide distribution that includes all continents except Antarctica.
|
|
A map of the pre-historic cultures of the American Southwest ca 1200 CE. Several Hohokam settlements are shown The agricultural practices of the Native Americans inhabiting the American Southwest, which includes the states of Arizona and New Mexico plus portions of surrounding states and neighboring Mexico, are influenced by the low levels of precipitation in the region. Irrigation and several techniques of water harvesting and conservation were essential for successful agriculture. To take advantage of limited water, the southwestern Native Americans utilized irrigation canals, terraces (trincheras), rock mulches, and floodplain cultivation. Success in agriculture enabled some native Americans to live in communities which may have numbered as many as 40,000 people as compared to their former lives as hunter-gatherers in which their bands numbered only a few dozen.
|
|
The veganic gardening method is a distinct system developed by Rosa Dalziell O'Brien, Kenneth Dalziel O'Brien and May E. Bruce, although the term was originally coined by Geoffrey Rudd as a contraction of vegetable organic in order to "denote a clear distinction between conventional chemical based systems and organic ones based on animal manures".Dalziel O'Brien, Kenneth, Veganic Gardening, 1986, page 9 The O'Brien system's principal argument is that animal manures are harmful to soil health rather than that their use involves exploitation of and cruelty to animals. The system employs very specific techniques including the addition of straw and other vegetable wastes to the soil in order to maintain soil fertility. Gardeners following the system use soil-covering mulches, and employ non-compacting surface cultivation techniques using any short-handled, wide-bladed, hand hoe.
|
|
The principal methods of organic farming include crop rotation, green manures and compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation. These measures use the natural environment to enhance agricultural productivity: legumes are planted to fix nitrogen into the soil, natural insect predators are encouraged, crops are rotated to confuse pests and renew soil, and natural materials such as potassium bicarbonateFiBL (2006) Use of potassium bicarbonate as a fungicide in organic farming and mulches are used to control disease and weeds. Genetically modified seeds and animals are excluded. While organic is fundamentally different from conventional because of the use of carbon based fertilizers compared with highly soluble synthetic based fertilizers and biological pest control instead of synthetic pesticides, organic farming and large-scale conventional farming are not entirely mutually exclusive.
|
|