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IMPORTANT OF PLASTIC MULCH IN STEVIA CULTIVATION.
Mulching is a Agricultural practices to cover the soil with plastic or straw/wheat dust on the top of the
soil therefore, to control weed, excessive water evaporation & conserve soil moisture. Both organic &
inorganic mulching have great benefit for stevia crop productivity.
Advantages of plastic mulching
1. It is completely impermeable to water.
2. It prevents the direct evaporation of moisture form the soil and thus limits the water
losses and conserves moisture.
3. By evaporation suppression, it prevents the rise of water containing salts.
4. Mulch can facilitate fertilizer placement and reduce the loss of plant nutrient through
leaching.
5. Mulches can also provide a barrier to soil pathogens
6. Opaque mulches prevent germination of annual weeds from receiving light
7. Reflective mulches will repel certain insects
8. Mulches maintain a warm temperature even during nighttime which enables seeds to
germinate quickly and for young plants to rapidly establish a strong root growth
system.
9.Synthetic mulches play a major role in soil solarisation process.
10.Mulches develop a micro climatic underside of the sheet, which is higher in carbon-di-oxide
due to the higher level of microbial activity.
11.Under mulch, the soil structure is maintained during cropping period
12. Early germination almost 2-3 days.
13. Better nodulation in crops like Groundnut.
14. Less nematodes population.
15.Water erosion is completely averted since soil is completely covered form bearing
action of rain drops.
16.When compared to organic mulches, it serves for a longer period.
Moisture conservation.
To keep stevia leaves clean, market demand will increases.
• Plastic film with its moisture barrier properties does not allow the soil moisture to
escape Water that evaporates from the soil surface under mulch film, condenses
on the lower surface of the film and falls back as droplets.
• Thus moisture is preserved for several days and increases the period between two
irrigations.
• The irrigation water or rainfall either moves into the soil thru holes on the mulch
around the plant area or through the unmulched area.
Weed control:
• Black plastic film does not allow the sunlight to pass through on to the soil
• Photosynthesis does not take place in the absence of sunlight below black film
hence, it arrests weed growth.
Limitations:
• They are costly to use in commercial production when compared to organic
mulches.
• Probability of ‘burning’ or ‘scorching’ of the young pants due to high
temperature of black film.
• Difficulty in application of top dressed fertilizer
•Reptile movement and rodent activities are experienced in some places.
• More runoff
• Environmental pollution
• Difficult in machinery movement
• Can not be used for more than one season using thin mulches
• Weed penetration with thin films
•Toxic to livestock.
Areas of application:
Mulching is mainly employed for
a. Moisture conservation in rainfed areas
b. Reduction of irrigation frequency and water saving in irrigated areas
c. Soil temperature moderation in greenhouse cultivation
d. Soil solorisation for control of soil borne diseases
e. Reduce the rain impact, prevent soil erosion and maintain soil structure
f. In places where high value crops only to be cultivated.
g. In the areas where high water scarcity like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Hariyana, Punjab in India,
mulching will give better crop yield as compare to existing method.
Selection of mulch:
The selection of mulches depends upon the ecological situations and primary and secondary
aspects of mulching
Rainy season ………………………………………..Perforated mulch.
Orchard and plantation…………………………………………….Thicker mulch
Soil solarisation …………………………………………………..Thin transparent film
Weed control through solarisation ……………………………….Transparent film
Weed control in cropped land………………………………………….Black film
Sandy soil ……………………………………………………………………Black film
Saline water use …………………………………………………………….Black film
Summer cropped land ………………………………………………………White film
Insect repellent …………………………………………………………….Silver colour film
Early germination ……………………………………………………… Thinner film .
Conclusion:
Selection of mulch in stevia cultivation will depend according to Agro- climatic condition of a
particular zone. We are realized the effect of plastic mulch in stevia cultivation in India. Farmers/
growers both are benefited for adopting this technique in their field. Production as well as cost of
cultivation has been minimizing greatly. So, we advice our growers to adopt this technique to get
better profit and control soil erosion as well as costing of cultivation.
Mulching is a Agricultural practices to cover the soil with plastic or straw/wheat dust on the top of the
soil therefore, to control weed, excessive water evaporation & conserve soil moisture. Both organic &
inorganic mulching have great benefit for stevia crop productivity.
Advantages of plastic mulching
1. It is completely impermeable to water.
2. It prevents the direct evaporation of moisture form the soil and thus limits the water
losses and conserves moisture.
3. By evaporation suppression, it prevents the rise of water containing salts.
4. Mulch can facilitate fertilizer placement and reduce the loss of plant nutrient through
leaching.
5. Mulches can also provide a barrier to soil pathogens
6. Opaque mulches prevent germination of annual weeds from receiving light
7. Reflective mulches will repel certain insects
8. Mulches maintain a warm temperature even during nighttime which enables seeds to
germinate quickly and for young plants to rapidly establish a strong root growth
system.
9.Synthetic mulches play a major role in soil solarisation process.
10.Mulches develop a micro climatic underside of the sheet, which is higher in carbon-di-oxide
due to the higher level of microbial activity.
11.Under mulch, the soil structure is maintained during cropping period
12. Early germination almost 2-3 days.
13. Better nodulation in crops like Groundnut.
14. Less nematodes population.
15.Water erosion is completely averted since soil is completely covered form bearing
action of rain drops.
16.When compared to organic mulches, it serves for a longer period.
Moisture conservation.
To keep stevia leaves clean, market demand will increases.
• Plastic film with its moisture barrier properties does not allow the soil moisture to
escape Water that evaporates from the soil surface under mulch film, condenses
on the lower surface of the film and falls back as droplets.
• Thus moisture is preserved for several days and increases the period between two
irrigations.
• The irrigation water or rainfall either moves into the soil thru holes on the mulch
around the plant area or through the unmulched area.
Weed control:
• Black plastic film does not allow the sunlight to pass through on to the soil
• Photosynthesis does not take place in the absence of sunlight below black film
hence, it arrests weed growth.
Limitations:
• They are costly to use in commercial production when compared to organic
mulches.
• Probability of ‘burning’ or ‘scorching’ of the young pants due to high
temperature of black film.
• Difficulty in application of top dressed fertilizer
•Reptile movement and rodent activities are experienced in some places.
• More runoff
• Environmental pollution
• Difficult in machinery movement
• Can not be used for more than one season using thin mulches
• Weed penetration with thin films
•Toxic to livestock.
Areas of application:
Mulching is mainly employed for
a. Moisture conservation in rainfed areas
b. Reduction of irrigation frequency and water saving in irrigated areas
c. Soil temperature moderation in greenhouse cultivation
d. Soil solorisation for control of soil borne diseases
e. Reduce the rain impact, prevent soil erosion and maintain soil structure
f. In places where high value crops only to be cultivated.
g. In the areas where high water scarcity like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Hariyana, Punjab in India,
mulching will give better crop yield as compare to existing method.
Selection of mulch:
The selection of mulches depends upon the ecological situations and primary and secondary
aspects of mulching
Rainy season ………………………………………..Perforated mulch.
Orchard and plantation…………………………………………….Thicker mulch
Soil solarisation …………………………………………………..Thin transparent film
Weed control through solarisation ……………………………….Transparent film
Weed control in cropped land………………………………………….Black film
Sandy soil ……………………………………………………………………Black film
Saline water use …………………………………………………………….Black film
Summer cropped land ………………………………………………………White film
Insect repellent …………………………………………………………….Silver colour film
Early germination ……………………………………………………… Thinner film .
Conclusion:
Selection of mulch in stevia cultivation will depend according to Agro- climatic condition of a
particular zone. We are realized the effect of plastic mulch in stevia cultivation in India. Farmers/
growers both are benefited for adopting this technique in their field. Production as well as cost of
cultivation has been minimizing greatly. So, we advice our growers to adopt this technique to get
better profit and control soil erosion as well as costing of cultivation.
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