Mulches materials used

Alternative uses of EEB have been investigated and results have shown that they are suitable as a mulching material for oil palm. The EFB are fibrous in nature and have a high moisture content (about 60%). The application of EFB in the interrows of palm avenues has been shown to improve oil palm growth and yield performance. When applied onto the soil surface, the EFB undergoes a degradation process that will yield organic matter and slowly release plant nutrients for crop uptake. 

An organic mulch also protects the soil against crust formation, but aside from the scarcity of mulching materials and costs, the use of mulches presents other problems that are discussed in detail in Chapter 25. Many types of mulches, if properly managed (Army et al., 1961), are very effective in minimizing runoff. Plant residues on the surface also markedly decrease the rate of drying of soil in the surface half-inch layer, but under field conditions Army et al. observed that the soil moisture content below 2 inches was not materially increased by surface residues. 

The term mulch, as used here, refers to any naturally-formed, undisturbed soil covering any material added to serve as a soil cover and to crop residues left in part on the surface as dead or dying materials. This definition is, therefore, broad enough to include essentially all organic and inorganic materials that serve as soil covers. The main emphasis here, however, is on conventional mulches of organic materials, where the soil is usually completely covered to various depths by plant materials added from outside sources. Reference will also be made to stubble- or trash-mulches, where the soil surface is usually only partially covered. Whether the soil is completely or only partly covered, most of the effects produced are very similar, but differ in degree. 

Mulching materials consisting of various kinds of plant materials have long been used by gardeners, fruit growers, nurserymen, and those interested in ornamental shrubs and flowering plants. These materials commonly include such materials as peat, manures, straw, cornstalks, corncobs, sugar-cane trash, leaves, peanut hulls, wood products, and various other kinds of litter. Since such materials must be applied to a depth of at least two inches if weeds are to be kept under control, it is obvious that they are too expensive (at least in terms of labor) for use as full mulches on field crops. 

Nitrogen-deficient crop residues, used as mulches, commonly decrease the available nitrogen level in the soil and hence may depress the growth of any plants growing on the mulched area unless supplemental nitrogen is applied (Carpenter and Watson, 1954). The inhibition may be less than if the mulching materials were incorporated into the soil... 

Considerable interest has been shown in recent years in the effect of manufactured materials, used as mulches, on early plant response and yields. The work of Bennett et al. 

The use of a mulch that covers the soil completely is effective in the absorption of raindrop energy and in preventing most horizontal flow of water. But mulching materials are scarce, and the mulching system is expensive and not adaptable to all crops. 

Obtain maximum C-factor and allowable shear stress for mulch control nettings with the netting used in conjunction with preapplied mulch material. 

Leave for three months if from an organic source, otherwise six months to allow for any unwanted pollutants to break down. If based on a bedding material of wood shavings rather than straw, at least a year will be needed, and even then the end product is best used only as a mulch. 

A mulch membrane, weed barrier, or weed control fabric is simply a sheet of synthetic or biodegradable material that forms a physical and light-excluding barrier to weed growth. Membranes can be used to clear annual and perennial weeds from open ground and beds. They are also used to prevent weeds from growing on ground that has been cleared. 

Municipal waste products have been considered for surface-mine reclamation. Waste applications could improve soil texture, add essential plant nutrients, and provide mulch for seed and seedlings. Shredded or composited waste could be applied to the surface, and mechanical methods could be used to incorporate it into the spoil, Sewage sludge can be applied in watei slimy or in dried form. Mixtures of shredded or composted waste and sewage sludge offer another possibility, Thus far, use of these materials has been restricted to relatively small demonstration areas for public health reasons. 

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