Sure it will reduce the input costs.

Using any kind of mulches proportionally reduced the evaporation in one hand and prevent the growth of weeds. these results in reducing the crop water requirement, and subsequently reduces the financial expenditure for water. As for the fertilizers issues it will be also reduced

Certainly, it reduces cost of farming in drylands. Mulching enhances moisture availability in the soil and so, the use efficiency of fertilizers. You can find lot of literature from ICRISAT/ICARDA

Dennis, the main purpose of mulching is to conserve water, in that case and considering that water is one of most limiting factor of production in the drylands, it may help save cost, and even moreso where irrigation is involved. Mulching also suppresses weeds and therefore help reduce cost of weeding. It also reduce the impact of raindrops on the soil and there help control erosion. Yes it can have multiple benefits including fertilizer use efficiency but not sure to what extent - have alook at literature from ICRISAT, ICARDA as suggested by Ramesh, as well as those from ICRAF. Regards. Oliver

Hello Dennis, as mentioned above mulching can reduce costs, improve water productivity and conserve soil. You can find more information on the use of mulching on this web http://inta.gob.ar/ generated in the Argentina pampas.

Cautious yes as long as we factor the cost of mulching.

Yes Laxmi, I agree, finding material for mulching could be a costly affair especially in the drylands, where the cheapest and obvious mulching materials, grass and crop residues may be scarce. In that case, one has to resort to unconventional materials that may be costly. This implies that one has to undertake a cost benefit analysis to ascertain the profitability of mulching in the Drylands.

I am completely agree with the collegues. I am from Spain. I work with drylands and mulching is very very important to preserve the soil moisture and to reduce water requirements. It prevents weed growing and, if the crop is situated in a place with a high slope, it also prevents soil erosion.

The only problem (as commented the collegues) is to find the material for the mulching, so you need to study near crops in order to find mulching materials.

Good luck.

Dennis,  As several have already commented, there is considerable published research providing evidence for positive agronomic benefits of mulching in dry-land agriculture.  Due to the renewed focus on the use of mulching (in combination with minimum tillage) as a strategy for adaptation to climate change, there have been several recent systematic reviews on this topic, focusing especially on small holder agriculture in Southern Africa.  Please see the links below for few selected reviews. They explain when and where the benefits justify the use of mulching along with other conservation agricultural practices.  

On the last segment of your question (Does Mulching reduce the cost of farming in terms of inputs such as fertilizers?), an economic analysis on the ‘whole farm management’ may be helpful for the answer, as Laxmi Pant mentioned above. There is one paper in the last link below- ‘a review of economic analyses on the conservation agricultural practices in small farms’.  I hope you could get the full texts from the links, please let me know otherwise.

 http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9804219&fileId=S1742170513000550

 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880913002703

 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196311003120

 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13593-011-0040-2

 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016788091300354X

Good comments by all. Mulching conserves moisture, decreases demand for irrigation, keeps the rooting zone cool (if it is not black plastic but plant residue) and ultimately increases the yields. However, decreasing cost of production/ being economical is not sure every where. It depends upon the availability of mulching material. its price and the level of yield increase. Only an economic analysis can tell the fact.   

It would reduce the cost by increasing yield, effectively controlling weeds, conserving moisture, making use of soil nutrients more effectively etc. But attack of termites does increase for which one has to be careful.

In fact, all the necessary answers are provided to the question of interest by everyone. Appropriate links to recent research reviews have been provided. 

Since the question has a component of fertilizer cost, how much nutrients would be added by the mulch materials over time could be calculated over time using the composition of mulch materials used. Except a few elements, the remainder will be added to the soil around the crop upon decomposition.  Since the area covers the drylands, the rate of decomposition of the mulch material would be slow and nutrients released during the dry period would also be low. This may sometime complicate the estimation of benefits on the nutrient/fertilizer costing. However, nutrient availability of the mulch materials could be taken into calculation of fertilizer requirement/ dosage.

Since the area is drylands, as pointed by others, finding mulching materials would be cumbersome. One option would be proper planning for suitable cropping systems, in which alley cropping with suitable tree species established during the wet period would be a choice.  Management of green manure trees will be an important practice - especially frequency and intensity of lopping to maintain the vigor of such plants/trees.

I agree, Research from IITA have shown that Nitrogen Fixing Trees (NFTs) have high potential for such alley cropping systems in dry-land areas in the tropics.  Prunings from these trees provide in-situ mulching material, and they also can fix substantial quantities of N from the atmosphere.  However, planting configuration and tree management are extremely important to minimize competition between annual crops and NFTs.

Yes, Susantha. I added my last para due to two reasons. 1) To find a good cropping system using alley cropping or any other like multi-storied systems with shade and competition adopted crop/plant species, so that mulching materials could be provided. 2) To maintain the vegetation established with much effort in drylands to sustain the supply/availability of mulching materials.

One way to take measures with the planting configuration that provide adequate soil and aerial space to minimize inter-specific and intra-specific competition, which you also mentioned. The other need is to use suitable lopping intensity and frequency - both are vital practices to maintain CHO reserves in the root system above threshold level so that the recovery of CHO reserves lost due to regeneration be quicker and rate of regeneration of the trees following lopping would be faster. This helps the vegetation to continue and supply green materials  (or mulching materials) without physiological constraints. 

In Melbourne, a friend of mine working in pasture and fodder management noted his experience with Ipil Ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) trees, that in the fodder grown area trees grew well, but later trees were caught up with diseases with frequent lopping, and now trying to work on identifying the cause of drawback. I suggested that it should be a case of vigor of the root system and unless the proper lopping intensity and frequency is practiced, the root system of the trees becomes affected and the CHO storage declines. This not only discourage rapid recovery, but also weaken the root system, making it vulnerable to root decay micro-organisms eventually showing weakening or dying of trees. That is why we have to identify proper lopping intensity and frequency to maintain the vigor of the green manure trees.

If needed we can add the whole physiology towards the management of green manure trees here.  Hope this helps.

Mulching in dryland area is very important medium of water conservation. My experience in Gujarat is that it also minimizes the attack of weeds, some other pests and diseases and improves the efficiency of seed, fertilizers and pesticides. It also improved the product quality. The mulches of various types were used. Most effective and low cost was plastic sheet (may be due to high subsidy on it) which can be wrapped up and again used upto three years. The only problem was about severity of termites due to mulch.  

Mulching saves water, maintains soil temperature, improves microbial growth, suppress weed growth and add nutrients to the soil. In that way is cost effective.

Dear all,

I am really grateful for your positive insights on my question of concern. Indeed, the information you have provided as well as the publication links given have been useful to me. Thanks so much for offering your expertise generously. 

Kind regards,

Dennis Olila

Mulching is useful and has positive impact on yield and product quality apart from resource conservation. Thus cost reduction in terms of less attack of pests and easy control, higher use efficiency of available moisture etc. were visualized in my Impact Assessment Report of IWMI-Tata project in Gujarat state of India. Plastic sheets were used as cheapest material partly due to subsidy by govt.

One problem highlighted by farmers was that attack of termites is increased due to this mulch.  

Dear Singh, Yes mulch indicate benefits you expressed but black plastic sheet raises surface root zone temperature by almost 2C. There fore plant residues mulch is preferable in high temperature conditions.