stubble mulch tillage advantages and disadvantages

Res. Blade plowing is typically a summer fallow operation after small grain harvest. 51:495498, Clemens J, Starr RK (1985) Field establishment of container grown plants. It was being referred that Austrian pine might be vulnerable to the pathogen. Labor Among treatments, vermicompost-mulched plots were recorded for higher bacterial and fungal counts at both surface and sub-surface soil layers (Balasubramanian et al. This paper also describes some problems associated with various mulch materials. 238:273280, Koski R, Jacobi WR (2004) Tree pathogen survival in chipped wood mulch. Cotton got vigorous growth under weed control methods in relation to control treatment. J. Henan Agric. Increased dependence on herbicides. 2002). Agric. Maecka I, Blecharczyk A (2008) Effect of tillage systems, mulches and nitrogen fertilization on spring barley (Hordeum vulgare). No-till 21:225232, Griffiths W, Fairhurst TH (2003) Implementation of best management practices in an oil palm rehabilitation project. Bulletin of the National Research Centre Using this system to breakup surface compaction in long-term, no-till fields may come at a cost. The highest rate of increase belongs to maize, while wheat shows the lowest rate of increase. (2007) conducted a field experiment to evaluate the impacts of mulch on soil temperature and soil water retention. Results indicated that among the mulches, various growth and yield attributes like plant height, leaf area index, crop growth rate, number of bolls per plant, and 100 boll weights were higher in plastic and minimum in straw mulch followed by cultural mulch and chemical mulch. Once the growing season gets underway, youll find that any weeds that do manage to make it through will be much easier toremove. Forest. Spade full of bark chippings to be used as mulch underneath raspberrybushes. If you did not plant a winter cover crop (which you would till under in the spring), you should spreada thick layer of soil-conditioning compost or well-rotted organic matter over the bare soil. Low rates of mulching have no such significant effects in relation to high-rate application but have some positive effects in relation to control treatment. 16:2125, Walsh BD, Salmins S, Buszard DJ, MacKenzie AF (1996) Impact of soil management systems on organic dwarf apple orchards and soil aggregate stability, bulk density, temperature and water content. Zamurrad M, Tariq M, Shah FH, Subhani A, Ijaz M, Iqbal MS, Koukab M (2013) Performance based evaluation of groundnut genotypes under medium rainfall conditions of Chakwal. 2023Yankee Publishing, Inc., An Employee-Owned Company In 1999, plastic mulch was used on an area of more than 22 million hectares of cultivated land worldwide (Miles et al. Com. It sends out small fungus spores that attaches to everything within 20 feet including the siding on our house. Honey locust canker which is mostly used as mulch contains a number of pathogens which are harmful (Koski and Jacobi 2004). In situ mulch, formed from the residue of a dead or chemically killed cover crop left in place (Wilson 1978a, b), is generally becoming an integral component of mulch tillage techniques. WARNING: Do not mulch like this! The literature review shows that application of mulches has been addressed; however, to the best of our knowledge, there is no study in which advantages and disadvantages of mulches in agriculture and the environment have been comprehensively reviewed. Some other scientists carried out the mulch experiments, and their outcomes were also in line with the early study of mulched trees performed better than the control treatment (Balvinder et al. Adv. Arkan. Montague T, Kjelgren R (2004) Energy balance of six common landscape surfaces and the influence of surface properties on gas exchange of four containerized tree species. All four systems have advantages and disadvantages, and the farmer should consider them carefully before choosing which plan best fits the field's unique characteristics (1). 1988; Ringe and Graves 1990; Samra and Singh 1998; Singh and Saggar 1997), stem of plant/trunk of tree diameter (Balvinder et al. Higher rates of mulch material improved the water holding capacity, infiltration rate, and moisture content of soil. You could also use shredded leaves. Mulching materials are widely used for the establishment of many herbs and tree species. This study showed one stubble mulch tillage after six years of continuous NT did not affect SOC and N concentrations in 0-30 cm depth. Rogers Memorial Farm Yields J. After a few spring rains, when the soil has warmed, we lay down soaker hoses in eachbed. Once the plants get some size on them, the fabric is covered and does not look so bad! Biodegradable materials are just effective in preventing the initial on slot of weeds from seeds already in the soil, cost less, and are much more eco-friendly. 1999b) where termites like the mulches which have higher nitrogen and phosphorus contents in them. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. Moreover, in the restoration sites, mulches are widely used for the plantation of trees which need no significant care. Needs a thorough understanding of the concept and requires careful farm management practices to be successful. Sci. It was concluded that less weed densities in plastic mulch were due to higher weed control efficiency of the plastic sheet. They also have the allelopathic effects on the weed species. Tree Planters Notes 72:1822, Crohn DM, Bishop ML (1999) Proximate carbon analysis for compost production and mulch use. Sartz (1963) used the barley crop as the living mulch material. 29:200207, Smith LJ, Skroch WA (1995) Turf herbicide injury to landscape trees as influenced by mulch. The selection of specific mulching type for particular purpose is of significant importance. Regularly mulchwith organic matter. The needle-like leaves of pinus have been found helpful to reduce erosion losses (McCambridge et al. 31:235241, Jiang S, Gao X, Liang J, Wang P, Gao J, Qu Y, Feng B (2012) Effect of different furrow and mulched ridge on water moisture conversation and water saving of spring mung bean planted farmland. Miles M (2005) Identification, pest status, ecology and management of the green mirid, a pest of cotton in Australia.PhD thesis, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia. Sci. 63:629637, Article Mulches got attention in the late 1930, as these materials can alter the surrounding conditions of agricultural lands, forest areas, and horticultural lands. J. Adv. 2. 23:175187, Pirone PP (1941) Freak weather damages trees and shrubs. Spaulding P, Hansbrough JR (1943) The needle blight of Eastern white pine.USDA Bureau of Plant Industry, 2pp. J. Environ. For more on mulching, read about mulching to control weeds and save water, and check out our guide to composting. I planted my garlic 2 weeks ago in NE PA. Prod. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. Hortic. 14954), Houle G, Babeux P (1994) Fertilizing and mulching influence on the performance of four native woody species suitable for re-vegetation in subarctic Quebec. A narrow chisel of 5-10 cm width is worked through the soil at a depth of 15-30 cm leaving all plant residues on the surface. 2002). Part of The use of landscape mulches prevents the death of newly transplanted plants even in unfavorable environmental conditions, e.g., saline (Ansari et al. Stubble breaks down easily. It has been estimated that presence of weeds could result in loss of water up to 25% due to evapotranspiration (Harris et al. Current. J. Ecobiol. Under reduced tillage, advantages over conventional tillage include better control of soil erosion, enhanced crop yields, soil water con-servation, and more-efficient use of fossil fuel-based nonrenewable re-sources. When the mulch material is used after the broadcasting of seeds, a thin layer is most effective as compared to heavy mulch application before seeding of smaller seeds (Rokich et al. Nurseryman. Has a role in IPM. Gardening Tools We Consider Indispensable: It Doesn't Take Much! J. Agric. Ecol. Agric. Keep mulch 6 to 12 inches away from the base of woody plants. 2003). Good mulch has characteristics of deepness which inhibit the weeds and promote the healthy plants and soil. f`a`xb@.&e?KXjDi 44:6368. 98:563568, Article Different rates of wheat straw mulches were used, i.e., (i) 4, (ii) 3, (iii) 2, and (iv) 1tons ha1 basis were used. Some crops, such as corn, typically produce . 4.12.3 Stubble Mulch Tillage or Stubble Mulch Farming. Less erosion with more residue. Res. J. Environ. The by-products of agricultural and forestry domains have been used as mulches in the mid 1900s century (Clifford and Massello 1965). More weed biomass was also reported in the control treatment (157gm2) followed by saw dust, rice straw, water hyacinth, and coir pith, and very less in sugarcane trash. 1996). Conventional tillage, conservation tillage and no-till (or zero-till) are defined by the amount of crop residue left on the ground. statement and 14:411414. Res. Replace old mulch as it rots down or becomes incorporated into the soil, so that the ground is being constantly fed and gradually builtup. Mulches improve the aesthetic value of landscapes and economic value of crops. Soil. Sci. Mulch, mulch, and mulch! Srinivasalu G, Rao AS (2000) Effect of sequential application of herbicides on weed management in cotton. Just by mulching, you increase soil moisture, reduce weeds, improve crop quality, and feed the soil. Treatments used in the experiment were as follows: i.e., (i) normal irrigation, (ii) rotary hoeing, (iii) wheat straw as mulch, and (iv) wheat straw + rotary hoeing. (. Sampathkumar et al. In the same way, more weed control effectiveness was present in sugarcane trash (91%), coir pith (84%), water hyacinth (77%), rice straw (65%), and saw dust (52%) in comparison to control treatment. Some cover crops and ground cover are also supportive for lessening of weed seed germination and their establishment (Griffiths and Fairhurst 2003). Tonight it is going down into the 20's. J. Arboric. 119:209215. Bio. Int. Soil. J. Hortic. The application of plastic mulching in agriculture is getting popular throughout the world, and its usage is increasing day by day. BONUS: Youll also receive our freeBeginner GardeningGuide! ZongBin et al. 1990). 2001). Pickering JS, Shepherd A (2000) Evaluation of organic landscape mulches: composition and nutrient release characteristics. 2005). 1996). Stenn H (2005) Woody mulch research review, professional users and product availability surveys.Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle, WA. 6:5258, ZongBin M, LingLi L, WeiPing F, DeYi X, TieGang Y (2004) Effect of wheat straw mulching on soil temperature, moisture and growth and development of summer cotton. Wood mulches do not generally combust fast. 2019; Long et al. In fact, I was so passionate about the product I joined the company! The ground covers and tumbled grass mulches are good-looking and perform the function of soil protection against extreme climatic, biotic, and abiotic factors. Bare soil is the most acidic soil than the inorganic mulch covered soil, and organic mulched soil is the least acidifying in all the treatments used in the research study (Iles and Dosmann 1999). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-020-00290-3, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s42269-020-00290-3. Decline in the use of such chemicals will be in favor of farmers in the sense that no money is used for such chemicals and also the non-use of chemicals will be in favor of beneficial soil organisms population and the environment (Chalker-Scott 2007). Shredded mulch, straw, pine needles, or shredded leaves are all good winter mulch. 2015; Tan et al., 2019; Iqbal et al. (2013) carried out a research study in field condition to check the effects of various treatments of weed control, i.e., wheat straw mulching, manual hoeing, acetochlor and pendimethalin + prometryne on weed population, its biomass production, and productivity of cotton. Yang YM, Liu XJ, Li WQ, Li CZ (2006) Effect of different mulch materials on winter wheat production in desalinized soil in Heilonggang region of North China. Conserves water. Structure 2019). High soil moisture loss. The egg shells cut the soft pests and the DE cuts the ones with an exoskeleton. 2013; Kwambe et al. 23:3, Raman R, Kuppuswamy G, Krishnamoorthy R (2004) Effect of mulching on the growth and yield of cotton. Nasrullah M, Khan MB, Ahmad R, Ahmad S, Hanif M, Nazeer W (2011) Sustainable cotton production and water economy through different planting methods and mulching techniques. Disk (and/or Field Cultivate) J. Tropic. In the garden, mulch can also includecompost, wood chips, rotted manure, cardboard, or evenseaweed. Technol. Epidemiology might be the reason of disease causing not the pathogenic source only (Chalker-Scott 2007). 1996; Seckler and Tejwani 1983). There are many research studies which showed the positive impacts of mulches on the germination, survival of newly grown plants, and transplantation of seedlings and overall performance of crop plants in relation to un-mulched treatments (Table 1). Res. 2002). Kamal I, Gelicus A, Allaf K (2012) Impact of instant controlled pressure drop (DIC) treatment on drying kinetics and caffeine extraction from green coffee beans. Mulches can also reduce the soil erosion. Weve gathered all of our best beginner gardening guides into a step-by-step series designed tohelp you learn how to garden! J. Arboric. 1995). The research study on this aspect is lacking. Mulch tillage is a system in which crop residues are left on the surface, and subsurface tillage leaves them relatively undisturbed. Harris RW, Clark JR, Matheny NP (2004) Arboriculture: integrated management of landscape trees, shrubs, and vines, 4th edition. Tree PlantersNotes. Res. Producers must consider the advantage and disadvantages of a tillage system before changing systems. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. 17:242245, Wilen CA, Schuch UK, Elmore CL (1999) Mulches and sub-irrigation control weeds in container production. Soc. However, substituting either a disk or field cultivator for secondary tillage greatly decreases the probability of leaving adequate residue for erosion control. 402-472-6715. The disadvantage is that they must be replenishedperiodically. For the re-vegetation of roadsides, brush mulch was found to be the effective and the economical ones in urban areas (Rothwell 1978). Google Scholar. However, without mulch, I ended up with a weedy jungle, as a working mom the time to weed never seemed to happen. 483:3336, Ferm A, Hytonen J, Lilja S, Jylha P (1994) Effects of weed control on the early growth of Betulapendula seedlings established on an agricultural field. Different crop residues (Davis 1994; Nath and Sarma 1992; Niggli et al. The secondary tillage operations firm the soil and deceases the amount of residue, improving residue flow through the planting equipment. Sci. While it can be effective, conventional tillage can also lead to soil erosion and compaction, and it requires a lot of energy and resources. The problem of compaction can be solved with the addition of organic mulch materials such as bark (Oliveira and Merwin 2001). From the current study, it is concluded that usage of cereals as mulch is the effective strategy to reduce down the intensity of weeds and also to increase the cotton seed yield. These include a decrease in carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions, less reliance on farm machinery and equipment, and an overall reduction in fuel and labor costs. 1994). 1995 Congress Spanish Weed Sci. Environ. Some mulch are used as barriers of water and air movement such as sheet and film mulches which enhance the root growth above the mulch surface but when these mulches are removed, they damage the crops grown on them (Appleton et al. J. Ame. Hortic. Bodenk. Food. Tip blight pathogen of Austrian pine did not affect any other crop plants. Strip-till J. Arboric. 1995). New.Forests. (2011) studied the effect of different mulched treatments (M1 = cultural mulch, M2 = straw mulch, M3 = plastic sheet, and M4 = chemical mulch) and planting methods (single row planting, double row strip planting, ridge planting, and bed planting) on growth, yield, and water economy in cotton. Different studies demonstrated that wood chips, straw, green manures, and bark mulches provide more nutrients as compared to inorganic mulches (Ansari et al. Soil. Crop. Strips may dry too much, crust, or erode without residue. 2019). Ayyadurai (2011) conducted field experiment to find out the critical period of weed crop competition in cotton. 86:987994, Rokich DP, Dixon KW, Sivasithamparam K, Meney KA (2002) Smoke, mulch, and seed broadcasting effects on woodland restoration in Western Australia. The straight or fluted coulters lightly till 2 to 3 inches of soil while they cut up and incorporate residue. 2000). 8:147153, Tan D, Fan Y, Liu J, Zhao J, Ma Y, Li Q (2019) Winter wheat grain yield and quality response to straw mulching and planting pattern. Husk mulched are found to be most effective in increasing the nutrient levels in soil as compared to leaf or grass mulch with higher nitrogen content (Singh and Singh 1999). Schales F (1990) Agricultural plastics use in the United States. CAS J. Amer. 17:174180, Winkel VK, Medrano JC, Stanley C, Walo MD (1995) Effects of gravel mulch on emergence of galleta grass seedlings. Both types of competitions are harmful for the growth and development of the main crop. Limits the chance of damaging trees trunks when mulch is placed around them instead ofgrass. I: effects of weed control. Phyto. 234:233237, Pair JC (1994) Adaptability of evergreen rhododendrons to the great plains as influenced by landscape exposure. These disadvantages reported by different scientists are not as much dangerous in real field conditions, although the advantages of mulches are most dominant on these contradictions. Inorganic mulches (gravel/stone mulch) when used at a 4-cm depth will avoid the colonization of weed species (Winkel et al. In this case, oxygen and water are unable to reach the roots. 9:6794, Green TL, Watson GW (1989) Effects of turf grass and mulch on establishment and growth of bare root sugar maples. Destroys soil structure. Learn how to mulch, when to mulch, and about the many different types of mulch to use in yourgarden. Wheat straw plots showed 59.25% more efficiency of weed control than the rest of the treatments used in the experiment at maturity. Sowing operations are difficult with ordinary equipment. (2013) found lower weed densities in treatments under sesbania and plastic mulch over the control treatment. 1998; Woods et al. In minimum tillage, more nitrogen has to be added as rate of decomposition of organic matter is slow. 2002). Science Society 4:6570, Saikia US, Kumar A, Das S, Pradhan R, Goswami B, Wungleng VC, Ngachan SV (2014) Effect of mulching on microclimate, growth and yield of mustard (Brassica juncea) under mid-hill condition of Meghalaya. Compacts wet soil. Minimum fuel and labor costs. Sweeps or blades are generally used to cut the soil up to 12-15 cm . System Comparisons Good incorporation. 2019). 8:1518, Cahill A, Chalker-Scott L, Ewing K (2005) Wood-chip mulch improves plant survival and establishment at no-maintenance restoration site (Washington). Suited for poorly drained soils. These variables could be high winds, elevated temperature levels, harsh climatic conditions, and competing plantation such as weeds. 2019). In 8 of 40 locations having finer-textured soils, Ontario researchers saw a 3 to 5.4 bushel per acre increase (Salford RTS). Biol. It controls or prevents soil erosion from taking place. 4:132, Jordan A, Zawala LM, Gill J (2010) Effects of mulching on soil physical properties and runoff under semi-arid conditions in southern Spain. Indian. Moderates soil temperatures, keeping it warmer on cold nights and cooler on hotdays. Mulching is capable of killing weeds because it covers the weeds and prevents sunlight from having direct contact with the weeds thereby making them unable to grow. Fuel 142:6265, Entry JA, Strausbaugh CA, Sojka RE (2005) Compost amendments decrease Verticilliumdahliae infection on potato. Can aggravate cotton insect pests. Or, lay down a layer of cardboard before adding your organic matter. Extension Engineer In: A.M. Whitbread and G.J. Manures and sawdust mulches were used for seedling survival of oak species. Research study was conducted to find out the rapid flammability of mulches (Steward et al. Moreover, integrating the mulching system (wheat straw, cotton sticks, black plastic, maize straw) with partial root zone drying (PRD) could serve an efficient technique to enhance overall crop growth, development, and yield. Even though plastic films and landscape fabrics have the ability to successfully reduce the weed population, these are not used for a long time. However, the type of the material, soil characteristics, and climatic conditions determine the increase, decrease, or no effect on soil nutrients. Utiliz. Department of Agronomy, University College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan, Rashid Iqbal,Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza,Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer,Salman Ahmad,Imran Haider,Muhammad Usman Aslam&Muhammad Adnan Nazar, Center of Excellence for Climate Change Research/Department of Meteorology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan, Liithuanian Center for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC), Kdainiai, Lithuania, You can also search for this author in In the real world, there are no significant effects of mulches in causing acidity in soil (Chalker-Scott 2007). J. Agric. Research studies conducted on mulch in 1942 revealed that the trees which are grown with mulch materials grew up better than the un-mulched trees (Hopp and Posey 1942). There are lots of materials of various colors and textures to choosefrom. %PDF-1.6 % 92:S26 (abstract), Foshee WG, Goff WD, Tilt KM, Williams JD, Bannon JS, Witt JB (1996) Organic mulches increase growth of young pecan trees. Mulch tillage (stubble mulch tillage). Cons. 76:203209, Watson GW (1988) Organic mulch and grass competition influence tree root development. The organic and living mulches possess numerous beneficial impacts on soil quality in terms of enhancing nutrients levels. IFP-compatible ground-cover management systems in a new-planted apple orchard. 26:611, Virk J, Singh SD, Tripathi HP (2002) Growth and yield of cotton as influenced by herbicides alone or in combination with interculture. J. It was suggested that mulching should be performed before the development of soil compaction, as once compaction was developed, there will be no significant improvement in soil aggregation with mulching (Donnelly and Shane 1986). Turf and various grasses compete with the main plants (Kraus 1998; Fausett and Rom 2001). Samarappuli L, Yogaratnam N (1984) Some aspects of moisture and soil conservation in rubber plantations. J. Arboric. Mulching with different materials can potentially conserve soil moisture, reduce evaporation losses, and suppress weed population. 9:202203, Litzow M, Pellett H (1993) Influence of mulch materials on growth of green ash. Monti e Boschi. The mulch material can reduce the beating action of rain drops or alleviate the heavy weight of feet and tires of heavy implements. hbbd``b`$#$a"`b .H/$H+`qAwvlc`3K Th (2006) conducted a field research study to evaluate the impact of different weed control measures on overall phonological stages of cotton. 6:3844, Article Diseased plants have mulch materials which have pathogens inside. In 1941, deep mulches were also used for trees and shrub plantation (Pirone 1941) because these deep-type mulches give protection to drought stress such as frost injury and freezing damage of crop plants in harsh environmental conditions. Most of the research studies suggest the use of sawdust as mulch for controlling of weed population in forest areas (Arthur and Wang 1999) or in container production system (Montano et al. Deep operation often leaves roots in the soil and weeds re-root. 2019). (2013). Information Report Laurentian Forestry Centre, Quebec Region, Canadian Forest Service, No. Mulch has been called the gardeners friendand for good reason. )Becc.,Washingtonia robusta H. Wendl. J. Weed. Keeping mulch away from the trunk discourageswood-boring insects, gnawing rodents, anddecay. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. 1988). 2019). Zamurrad et al. Do not over . This is also achieved by mulches via increasing the root establishment, growth, and development (Fausett and Rom 2001; Wood 1994). 1994), subarctic (Houle and Babeux 1994), and mines tailing (Munir et al. Organic or live mulches are most favorable than the gravel or stone mulches for proper seed germination (Montano et al. (2010) used plastic mulching, manual weeding, and mechanical weed control methods to control the population of weeds and concluded that after 30days of sowing mulched treatment reduced the weeds intensity in relation to un-mulched treatment about 100% of broad leaves weed and 95.8% of narrow leaves weed. Asp. Scand. Comp. Experiment included 12 different treatments (weedy and weed-free periods at 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 DAS and at harvest). The New Holland range of STX V all-round stubble cultivators are perfect for conventional stubble operations as well as those looking for mulch tilling. Keep them away from buildings to be on the safeside. Res. Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition . Creating and maintaining ridges. 1977) which can inhibit the germination of seeds in deeper layers of soil (Winkel et al. Therefore, selection of the mulch material is imperative because mulches are a part of IPM plan. 71-74. Some contradictory results were also obtained from different studies which showed that there is no transfer of diseases by using the diseased mulch as infected maple trees. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. 638:7783, Niggli U, Weibel FP, Potter CA (1988) Unkrautregulierung in einerDauerkulturdurchBodenbedeckungmitorganischenMaterialien (Weed control in a perennial crop using an organic mulch). Many of the advantages of conventional tillage are maintained. 96:5263, Davis JM (1994) Comparison of mulches for fresh-market basil production. 2015; Kader et al. Visit our complete Gardening for Everyonehub,where youll find a series of guidesall free! Mulching is referred as spreading various covering materials on the surface of soil to minimize moisture losses and weed population and to enhance crop yield (Nalayini 2007; Kader et al. J. Arboric. App. 1998), while the most frequently used inorganic mulch throughout the world is polyethylene plastic mulch. The finer the material, the thinner the layerneeded. This is because you cannot plant in an area where there are plant residues from the previous year's crop. Water hyacinth as a potential organic substrate can stimulate the growth of diversity of microbial population in agricultural soils. On this page: Popular implements; Common tillage depths; Number of passes needed to prepare a . Uni. 30:165171, Kraus HT (1998) Effects of mulch on soil moisture and growth of desert willow. Findings of the research study indicated that wheat straw used as mulch improved the physical and chemical properties of soil. A few mulching materials are considered to acidify the soil; however, there is no proper scientific evidence about this acidification of soil due to mulching. Three weed control methods were used namely as (i) herbicides, (ii) cereals as mulch, and (iii) inter-row cultivation. Polyethylene plastic sheets (as mulch) are reported to be more effective for weed control in cotton than in organic mulches. Engin. Mulching has also some other positive environmental effects such as temperature regulation of soil and plant roots, minimum nutrient losses, cut down soil erosion and compactness, and improved physical conditions of soil (Ngouajio and McGiffen 2004; Lamont 2005).

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