Mulching

It is the practice of protecting and improving the soil by covering with a layer of organic matter mostly comprising of crop residues. It is the process that is always present in forests and instrumental in the sustainability of fertility in those soils. For soil to become sustainable in supporting crop growth, it needs protection from daily and seasonal weather and as well have the functioning of soil organisms.

A mulch on a soil serves these purposes:

• It protects soil from extreme heat that may dry up soil moisture and hence conserves soil moisture
• It reduces soil erosion due to wind and water
• Rain water has more chances to infiltrate than to run off horizontally as its velocity gets reduced due to the presence of mulch
• Soil temperatures are moderated that are optimal for normal functioning of crop root system
• Ambient environment is created for soil organisms to flourish that would bring natural balance between beneficial and harmful organisms
• Mulch provides food substrate required by the organisms
• The nutrients present in the mulch are eventually decomposed by soil organisms and are added to the soil

Mulching in Bhaskar Save's kalpavriksha Farm