Abstract
Mulching is a very effective technology for conservation of soil moisture as well it adds nutrient through decomposition which helps to increase the productivity of the crops. Initiation of planting process tends to be successful due to maintenance, management of weed as well as their monitoring. Weed control is known to favor survival and plant growth by suppressing competition for water, nutrients, light, and space. Many weed control strategies (manual, mechanical, chemical, etc.) have been adopted. However, weed control using mulching has occupied a particular role among weed control methods used until now not only due to the effectiveness of this technique but also to its ability to provide conducive microclimatic conditions (increase of temperature and soil moisture) around mulched plant while improving the structural stability and soil structure and nutrients availability. This may improve early survival and plant growth in forest plantations, which makes weed control using mulching merits consideration in afforestation programs. Mulching cost depends on type of mulch used. However, weed control using mulching is generally less costly compared to traditional techniques (manual, mechanical, chemical, etc.) due to the reduction of maintenance activities after plantation.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- %:
-
Percent
- cm:
-
Centimeter
- FAO:
-
Food and Agriculture Organization
- g/m2:
-
Gram per meter square
- kg/m2:
-
Kilogram per meter square
- m:
-
Meter
- mg/kg:
-
Milligram per kilogram
- mm:
-
Millimeter
- ppm:
-
Parts per million
- UV:
-
Ultraviolet
- μm:
-
Micrometer
References
Afocel A (1978) Le paillage plastique des plantations forestières. Informations-Forêt Fasc 113(3):155–162
Albouchi A, Abbassi M (2000) Effet du paillage plastique noir sur la survie et la croissance de six espèces forestières plantées en brise-vent en région semi-aride. Annales de l’institut national de recherches en génie rural, eaux et forêts 4:40–61
An T, Schaeffer S, Li S, Fu S, Pei J, Li H, Zhuang J, Radosevich M, Wang J (2015) Carbon fluxes from plants to soil and dynamics of microbial immobilization under plastic film mulching and fertilizer application using 13C pulse-labeling. Soil Biol Biochem 80:53–61
Ansari R, Marcar NE, Khanzada AN, Shirazi MU, Crawford DF (2001) Mulch application improves survival but not growth of Acacia ampliceps Maslin, Acacia nilotica (L.) Del. and Conocarpus lancifolius L. on a saline site in southern Pakistan. Intern For Rev 3:158–163
Awe GO, Reichert JM, Timm LC, Wendroth OO (2015) Temporal processes of soil water status in a sugarcane field under residue management. Plant Soil 387:395–411
Banerjee A, Jhariya MK, Yadav DK, Raj A (2020) Environmental and sustainable development through forestry and other resources. Apple Academic Press, Boca Raton. ISBN: 9781771888110, p 400. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429276026
Banko TJ, Stefani MA (1991) Effects of container medium peat content and bed surface on plant growth during capillary irrigation. J Environ Hort 9:33–36
Borst HL, Woodburn R (1942) The effect of mulching and methods of cultivation on runoff and erosion from Muskingum silt loam. J Agric Eng 23:19–22
Brantley EA, Davis DD, Kuhns LJ (2001) Influence of mulch characteristics on sporulation by the artillery fungus Sphaerobolus stellatus. J Environ Hort 19:89–95
Cahill A, Chalker-Scott L, Ewing K (2005) Wood-chip mulch improves plant survival and establishment at no-maintenance restoration site (Washington). Ecol Restoration 23:212–213
Chalker-Scott L (2007) Impact of mulches on landscape plants and the environment—a review. J Environ Hort 25(4):239–249
Cregg BM, Dix ME (2001) Tree moisture stress and insect damage in urban areas in relation to heat island effects. J Arboriculture 27:8–17
Davies RJ (1987) Trees and weeds-weed control for successful tree establishment. In: Forestry commission handbook. HMSO, London, p 36
Davis DD, Kuhns LJ, Harpster TL (2005) Use of mushroom compost to suppress artillery fungi. J Environ Hort 23:212–215
Downer J, Hodel D (2001) The effects of mulching on establishment of Syagrus romanzoffiana. Cham. Becc., Washingtonia robusta H. Wendl. and Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (H. Wendl.) H. Wendl. & Drude in the landscape. Sci Hortic 87:85–92
Elfstrand S, Båth B, Mårtensson A (2007) Influence of various forms of green manure amendment on soil microbial community composition, enzyme activity and nutrient levels in leek. Appl Soil Ecol 36:70–82
FAO (2015) Évaluation des ressources forestières mondiales 2015: Comment les forêts de la planète changent-elles? Deuxième édition. FAO, Rome. www.fao.org/3/a-i4793f.pdf
Fausett JB, Rom CR (2001) The effects of transitioning a mature high-density orchard from standard herbicide ground-cover management system to organic ground-cover management systems. Arkansas Agric Expt Sta Res Series 483:33–36
Fiddler G, McDonald P (1987) Alternative treatments for releasing conifer seedlings: a study update. In: Proceedings of the 8th annual forest vegetation management conference, Sacramento, CA, pp 64–69
Frochot H (1984) Influence de Festucapratensis sur le développement de jeunes peupliers. 7ème colloque international sur l’écologie, la biologie et la systématique des mauvaises herbes. Columa-ewers pp 307–313
Frochot H, Levy G, Lefèvre Y, Wehrlen I (1992) Amélioration du démarrage des plantations de feuillus précieux: cas du frêne en station à bonne réserve en eau. Rev For Fr XLIV:61–65
Gallois F, Schmutz T, Basin P (1997) Nouveaux matériaux de paillage : premiers résultats d’essai en milieux ouverts. Forêt-entreprise 116:34–41
Gan J, Zhu Y, Wilen C, Pittenger D, Crowley D (2003) Effect of planting covers on herbicide persistence in landscape soils. Environ Sci Technol 37:2775–2779
George AP, Nissen RJ, Mowat A, Collins RJ, Collins R (2003) Innovative production systems for non-astringent persimmon. Acta Hortic 601:151–157
Harper GJ, Comeau PG, Biring BS, Reid WJ, Fielder P (1998) A comparison of mulch mat and herbicide treatments for reducing grass competition in the wet warm interior Douglas-fir subzone. Extension Note, 27, British Columbio, p 7
Harris RW, Clark JR, Matheny NP (2004) Arboriculture: integrated management of landscape trees, shrubs, and vines, 4th edn. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, p 578
Henin S, Monnier G (1961) Mécanisme de l’action d’une couverture de paille sur le bilan de l’eau du sol. C R Acad Sci t 152:939–941
Horowitz M, Thomas JM (1994) Couverture du sol pour la gestion des mauvaises herbes (Soil cover for weed management), Maitrise des adventices par voie non chimique. Communications de la quatrieme conference internationale I.F.O.A.M. 2nd ed, pp 149–154
Huo L, Pang H, Zhao Y, Wang J, Lu C, Li Y (2017) Buried straw layer plus plastic mulching improves soil organic carbon fractions in an arid saline soil from Northwest China. Soil Tillage Res 165:286–293
Jabran K, Mahajan G, Sardana V, Chauhan BS (2015) Allelopathy for weed control in agricultural systems. Crop Prot 72:57–65
Jemai I, Ben Aissa N, Ben Guirat S, Ben-Hammouda M, Gallali T (2013) Impact of three and seven years of no-tillage on the soil water storage, in the plant root zone, under a dry subhumid Tunisian climate. Soil Tillage Res 126:26–33
Jhariya MK, Singh L (2020) Herbaceous diversity and biomass under different fire regimes in a seasonally dry forest ecosystem. Environ Dev Sustain 22:1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00892-x
Jhariya MK, Banerjee A, Meena RS, Yadav DK (2019a) Sustainable agriculture, forest and environmental management. Springer, Singapore. eISBN: 978-981-13-6830-1, Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-13-6829-5, p 606. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6830-1
Jhariya MK, Yadav DK, Banerjee A (2019b) Agroforestry and climate change: issues and challenges. Apple Academic Press, Palm Bay. ISBN: 978-1-77188-790-8 (Hardcover), 978-0-42957-274-8 (E-book), p 335. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429057274
Kader MA, Senge M, Mojid MA, Ito K (2017) Recent advances in mulching materials and methods for modifying soil environment. Soil Tillage Res 168:155–166
Kader MA, Singha A, Begum MA, Jewel A, Khan FH, Khan NI (2019) Mulching as water-saving technique in dry land agriculture. Bulletin Nat Res Centre 43:1–6
Kacinski NA (1951) Posev duba v mikroponizenija kak sredstvo borjby s zasuhoi na svetlokastanovyh pocvah (Sowing oak in micro-depressions as a means of combating drought on light chestnut soils). Pocvoved 10:585–603
Khan N, Jhariya MK, Yadav DK, Banerjee A (2020a) Herbaceous dynamics and CO2 mitigation in an urban setup- a case study from Chhattisgarh, India. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27(3):2881–2897. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-07182-8
Khan N, Jhariya MK, Yadav DK, Banerjee A (2020b) Structure, diversity and ecological function of shrub species in an urban setup of Sarguja, Chhattisgarh, India. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27(5):5418–5432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-07172-w
Kiikkila O, Derome J, Brugger T, Uhlig C, Fritze H (2002) Copper mobility and toxicity of soil percolation water to bacteria in metal polluted forest soil. Plant and Soil 238:273–280
Kumar S, Meena RS, Jhariya MK (2020) Resources use efficiency in agriculture. Springer, Singapore. eBook ISBN: 978-981-15-6953-1, Hardcover: 978-981-15-6952-4, p 760. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6953-1
Lakatos T, Buban T, Muller W, Polesny F, Verheyden C, Webster AD (2000) Effectiveness of different groundcover materials to preserve soil water content in a young apple orchard. Acta Hortic 525:425–426
Leclerc D (1997) Le paillage en forêt. ONF Bulletin Tech 32:39–46
Li X, Jin M, Huang J, Yuan J (2015) The soil–water flow system beneath a cotton field in arid north-West China, serviced by mulched drip irrigation using brackish water. Hydrgeol J 23:35–46
Long CE, Thorne BL, Breisch NL, Douglass LW (2001) Effect of organic and inorganic landscape mulches on subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) foraging activity. Environ Entomol 30:832–836
Masciandaro G, Ceccanti B, Benedicto S, Lee HC, Cook HF (2004) Enzyme activity and C and N pools in soil following application of mulches. Can J Soil Sci 84:19–30
McDonald P, Helgerson O (1990) Mulches aid in regenerating California and Oregon forests: past, present and future. USAD Forest Service Gentech Rep PSW-123:20
McGovern RJ, McSorley R, Bell ML (2002) Reduction of landscape pathogens in Florida by soil solarization. Plant Dis 86:1388–1395
Mechergui T (2008) Effets de l’utilisation des abris-serres et du paillage plastique sur l’installation et la croissance de plants de chêne-liège dans la région de Nefza (Nord-Ouest de la Tunisie) [mémoire de mastère]. Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte
Mechergui T (2016) Régénération artificielle du chêne-liège (Quercus suber L.) et du chêne-zeéen (Quercus canariensis Willd.): impacts du paillage et des abrisserres sur l’installation, la croissance et le développement architectural des plants. Tunisie: Thèse de doctorat. Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, Tunisie, p 154
Meena RS, Lal R (2018) Legumes for soil health and sustainable management. Springer, Singapore, p 541. ISBN 978-981-13-0253-4 (eBook), ISBN: 978-981-13-0252-7(Hardcover). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0253-4_10
Meena RS, Kumar V, Yadav GS, Mitran T (2018) Response and interaction of Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the soybean rhizosphere: A review. Plant Growth Regul 84:207–223
Meena RS, Kumar S, Datta R, Lal R, Vijaykumar V, Brtnicky M, Sharma MP, Yadav GS, Jhariya MK, Jangir CK, Pathan SI, Dokulilova T, Pecina V, Marfo TD (2020) Impact of agrochemicals on soil microbiota and management: a review. Land (MDPI) 9(2):34. https://doi.org/10.3390/land9020034
Meena RS, Lal R, Yadav GS (2020a) Long term impacts of topsoil depth and amendments on soil physical and hydrological properties of an Alfisol in Central Ohio, USA. Geoderma 363:1141164
Meena RS, Lal R, Yadav GS (2020b) Long-term impact of topsoil depth and amendments on carbon and nitrogen budgets in the surface layer of an Alfisol in Central Ohio. Catena 194:104752
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. Sci Hortic 100:229–249
Muñoz K, Buchmann C, Meyer M, Schmidt-Heydt M, Steinmetz Z, Diehl D, Thiele-Bruhn S, Schaumann GE (2017) Physicochemical and microbial soil quality indicators as affected by the agricultural management system in strawberry cultivation using straw or black polyethylene mulching. Appl Soil Ecol 113:36–44
Naab JB, Mahama GY, Koo J, Jones JW, Boote KJ (2015) Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization with crop residue retention enhances crop productivity, soil organic carbon, and total soil nitrogen concentrations in sandy-loam soils in Ghana. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 102:33–43
Nambiar EKS, Sands R (1993) Competition for water and nutrients in forests. Can J For Res 23:1955–1968. https://doi.org/10.1139/x93-247
Nawaz A, Farooq M, Lal R, Rehman A, Hussain T, Nadeem A (2017) Influence of sesbania brown manuring and rice residue mulch on soil health, weeds and system productivity of conservation rice-wheat systems. Land Degrad Dev 28:1078–1090
Ngosong C, Justin O, Tening AS (2019) Mulching: a sustainable option to improve soil health. In: Soil fertility management for sustainable development, pp 231–249. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5904-0_11
Oliveira MT, Merwin IA (2001) Soil physical conditions in a New York orchard after eight years under different groundcover management systems. Plant and Soil 234:233–237
Pfammatter W, Dessimoz A (1997) Influence de l’irrigation et de la couverture du sol sur le developpement et le rendement de jeunes pommiers (Influence of irrigation and ground cover on development and yields of young apple trees). Revue Suisse de Viticulture, d’Arboriculture et d. Horticulture 29:301–304
Pickering JS, Shepherd A (2000) Evaluation of organic landscape mulches: composition and nutrient release characteristics. Arboricultural J 23:175–187
Rahma AE, Warrington DN, Lei T (2019) Efficiency of wheat straw mulching in reducing soil and water losses from three typical soils of the loess plateau, China. Int Soil Water Conserv Res 7:335–345
Raj A, Jhariya MK, Yadav DK, Banerjee A (2020) Climate change and agroforestry systems: adaptation and mitigation strategies. Apple Academic Press, Palm Bay. ISBN: 9781771888226, p 383. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429286759
Ranjan P, Patle GT, Prem M, Solanke KR (2017) Organic mulching—a water saving technique to increase the production of fruits and vegetables. Curr Agri Res 5(3):371–380
Rathore AL, Pal AR, Sahu KK (1998) Tillage and mulching effects on water use, root growth, and yield of rain-fed mustard and chickpea grown after lowland rice. J Sci Food Agric 78:149–161
Robitaille D (1994) Bilan annuel des expérimentations sur les paillis forestiers dans la station de la forêt de Drmmondville. Rapport interne MRN. Québec, p 142
Robitaille D (2003) Protection des plantations de feuilles contre la végétation concurrente dans les friches herbacées: plantation de Beaumont-résultats de sept ans. Mémoire de recherche forestière n°142
Rokich DP, Dixon KW, Sivasithamparam K, Meneyka KA (2002) Smoke, mulch, and seed broadcasting effects on woodland restoration in Western Australia. Restor Ecol 10:185–194
Rothwell RL (1978) Erosion control on forest roads. Agric Forestry Bull 1:29–32
Russell JC (1939) The effect of surface cover on soil moisture losses by evaporation. Proc Soil Sci Soc Am 4:65–70
Salim R, El-Halawa RA (2002) Efficiency of dry plant leaves (mulch) for removal of lead, cadmium and copper from aqueous solutions. Process Safety Environ Prot 80:270–276
Siczek A, Horn R, Lipiec J, Usowicz B, Łukowski M (2015) Effects of soil deformation and surface mulching on soil physical properties and soybean response related to weather conditions. Soil Tillage Res 153:175–184
Smith MW (2000) Cultivar and mulch affect cold injury of young pecan trees. J Amer Pomology Soc 54:29–33
Splawski CE, Regnier EE, Harrison SK, Bennett MA, Metzger DJ (2016) Weed suppression in pumpkin by mulches composed of organic municipal waste materials. Hort Sci 51:720–726
Szwedo J, Maszczyk M (2000) Effects of straw-mulching of tree rows on some soil characteristics, mineral nutrient uptake and cropping of sour cherry trees. J Fruit Ornamental Plant Res 8:147–153
Tanavud C, Kheowvongsri P, Yongchalermchai C, Leowarin W, Densrisereekul O, Bennui A, Murase J, Kimura M (2001) Effects of land use patterns on soil and water quality in Khlong U-Taphao Basin. Thai J Agric Sci 34:15–31
Tilander Y, Bonzi M (1997) Water and nutrient conservation through the use of agroforestry mulches, and sorghum yield response. Plant and Soil 197:219–232
Townsend TG, Solo GH, Tolaymat T, Stook KK (2003) Impact of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) in wood mulch. Sci Total Environ 309:173–185
Truax B, Gagnon D (1993) Effects of straw and black plastic mulching on the initial growth and nutrition of butternut, white ash and bur oak. For Ecol Manage 57:17–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-1127(93)90159-K
Tuckey LM, Schoff EL (1963) Influence of different mulching materials upon the environment. Proc Amer Soc Hort Sci 82:69–82
Van Lerberghe P (2004a) Les paillis biodégradables ont-ils un avenir en plantations ligneuses ? Forêt-entreprise 157:20–21
Van Lerberghe P (2004b) Le paillage des plantations ligneuses, une alternative au désherbage chimique. Forêt-entreprise 157:22–26
Van Lerberghe P, Gallois F (1997) Les objectifs culturaux du paillage et ses conséquences. Forêt-entreprise 116:26–30
Von Ahlten FW (1990) Guide révisé relatif à la plantation des bois durs sur les terres agricoles abandonnées au sud de l’Ontario, Forêt Canada-Région de l’Ontario, Centre de foresterie des grands lacs, Sault-Sainte-Marie, p 90
Wagner RG, Robinson AP (2006) Critical period of interspecific competition for four northern conifers: 10-year growth response and associated vegetation dynamics. Can J For Res 36:2474–2485
Wang X, Xing Y (2016) Effects of mulching and nitrogen on soil nitrate-N distribution, leaching and nitrogen use efficiency of maize (Zea mays L.). PLoS One 11:e0161612
Wilen CA, Schuch UK, Elmore CL (1999) Mulches and subirrigation control weeds in container production. J Environ Hort 17:174–180
Zaragoza C, Moya S, Martinez G (1995) Efectos de las coberturas organicas a base de cortezas de pino y restos de poda en un Huerto de frutales (effects of mulches based on pine bark and pruning residues in a fruit orchard), pp 83–290. Proceedings of 1995 congress, Spanish Weed Science Society, Huesca
Zhang S, Lövdahl L, Grip H, Tong Y, Yang X, Wang Q (2009) Effects of mulching and catch cropping on soil temperature, soil moisture and wheat yield on the loess plateau of China. Soil Tillage Res 102:78–86
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mechergui, T., Pardos, M., Jhariya, M.K., Banerjee, A. (2021). Mulching and Weed Management Towards Sustainability. In: Jhariya, M.K., Meena, R.S., Banerjee, A. (eds) Ecological Intensification of Natural Resources for Sustainable Agriculture . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4203-3_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4203-3_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-33-4202-6
Online ISBN: 978-981-33-4203-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)