Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Abdi says using wood chips as mulch can help maintain moisture, moderate soil temperatures, and suppress weeds in the garden. To insulate the roots of your plants, add a 2—to 3-inch layer over ...
Living mulch planted to retard weed growth between corn rows. In agriculture, a living mulch is a cover crop interplanted or undersown with a main crop, and intended to serve the purposes of a mulch, such as weed suppression and regulation of soil temperature. Living mulches grow for a long time with the main crops, whereas cover crops are ...
The effect of mulch upon soil moisture content is complex. Mulch forms a layer between the soil and the atmosphere reducing evaporation. [11] However, mulch can also prevent water from reaching the soil by absorbing or blocking water from light rains and overly thick layers of mulch can reduce oxygen in the soil. [12]
In agriculture, cover crops are plants that are planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested. Cover crops manage soil erosion , soil fertility , soil quality , water, weeds , pests , diseases, biodiversity and wildlife in an agroecosystem —an ecological system managed and shaped by humans.
Evaporation from soil accounts for 25-50% of water used in irrigation, using plastic mulch prevents much of this evaporation and thus reduces the amount of water needed to grow the crop. [8] This conservation of water makes plastic mulch favourable for farmers in dry and arid climates where water is a limited resource.
Limitations to consider in the use of green manure are time, energy, and resources (monetary and natural) required to successfully grow and utilize these cover crops. Consequently, it is important to choose green manure crops based on the growing region and annual precipitation amounts to ensure efficient growth and use of the cover crop(s).
While we always sing the praises of pumpkins and corn when fall comes around, don't forget tasty root veggies like parsnips, celeriac and sweet potatoes.
Alley cropping of maize and sweet chestnut, Dordogne, France Maize grown under Faidherbia albida and Borassus akeassii near Banfora, Burkina Faso. Agroforestry (also known as agro-sylviculture or forest farming) is a land use management system that integrates trees with crops or pasture.