Can we use plastic mulch in crops for weed control where drip or any micro irrigation facilities are not installed?
Without drip the mulching should be practicable or not?
Experts please light on this with tricks and ideas so that mulching can't affect on irrigation.
If watering is needed, pour it in the holes where the plants are (or I suppose you could make other holes for it, but I never have). Or you could park a soaker hose under the plastic and connect it when needed. The plants were planted through X cuts in the mulch plastic just big enough to allow a 4" hole to be dug to accept the root ball. Fold the plastic back in place to cover the root ball, water at the plant base as till your past transplant shock and the plants are established. Mulching is the process of covering the topsoil with plant material such as leaves, grass, twigs, crop residues, straw etc. A mulch cover enhances the activity of soil organisms such as earthworms. Put cages in place. The plastic mulch covering the soil decreases the crusting effect of rain and sunlight. The reduction in weed quantity means a decreased need for mechanical cultivation. Weed control between beds of plastic can be done using directly applied herbicides and through mechanical means. Owing to its greater permeability to long wave radiation which can increase the temperature around plants during the night times, polyethylene is preferred. Today the vast majority of plastic mulch is based on LLDPE because it is more economic in use. Black mulch is great for keeping the weeds away! This is the best all-purpose plastic mulch. The mulch will warm your soil and reduce evaporation to conserve water. It is usually fixed according to the type of crop and its duration. Mostly 20-30-micron thickness is used for production of vegetable crop.Keep mulch 3 to 6 inches away from plant stems and crowns to prevent disease and pest problems. Additional weed control may be needed around the plant base area. Deep mulch provides nesting habitat for ground-burrowing rodents that can chew extensively on tree trunks and tree roots.
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