Crops
Mulching
- Definition and role in the reduction of phytosanitary products : covering the soil with materials forming a screen or a cover to limit the germination of weeds or slow down their development and/or to disturb the biological cycles of bioaggressors.
- Against which pests? Against all weeds, against certain pathogenic fungi thanks to a microclimate less favorable to their development, against the development of certain telluric diseases (antagonistic effects vis-à-vis telluric bioaggressors associated with the stimulation of the biological activity of the soil by contribution of organic matter from plant mulches).
- On which crops? All tropical crops.
- When ? Placement just before planting after soil preparation and after adequate irrigation for synthetic manufactured mulches. Placement after planting for plant mulch.
- In what conditions ? The soil must be clean, well prepared, as for a culture. Be careful not to put plant mulch in contact with the collar of the plant.
- In what forms? Various materials can be used.
- plant materials: sugar cane leaf residues, fragmented ramial wood (RCW), bark, crushed crop residues from the previous crop, banana tree leaves and pseudo-stems.
- manufactured materials: biodegradable or non-biodegradable plastic films, kraft paper.
- Regulations : burying, burning or abandoning used plastic mulch is prohibited. Non-biodegradable plastics must be disposed of using companies that specialize in processing and recycling these plastics. Biodegradable plastics (meeting DIN CERTCO 13432 and NFU 520001 standards) can be buried or composted. Non-biodegradable mulches cannot be used in organic farming.
- Working time: the laying time depends on the possibilities of mechanization: 10 h/ha for mulching with sugar cane leaves on a crop of yams against 15 days/ha for manual laying of paper.
- Compatibility of alternative techniques with each other :
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