Training on

Micro Irrigation &

Plasticulture
Precision Farming Development Centre
Dept. of Soil & Water Conservation Engg.
Agrl. Engg. College & Research Institute
Tamilnadu Agricultural University
Coimbatore 641 003
PLASTIC MULCHING FOR
CROP PRODUCTION
 MULCHING
The process of covering the soil
around the plant with dry leaves, straw,
hay, stones, plastic film etc is called
mulching.
Mulch increases the efficiency by:
Improved moisture conservation.
Increased soil temperature.
Elimination of weed growth and hence
increases the yield.
 MULCH FILMS
Types of mulches
Organic plant residues
Inert material like pebble etc.,
Synthetic materials like plastic
LDPE and LLDPE plastic films
LLDPE black colour mulch most popular due to
1) possible down gauging
2) better puncture resistance
Down gauging leads to availability of thinner film at a
lower cost.
Puncture resistance and opacity check the weed
growth under the film.
APPLICATION STATUS OF PLASTIC MULCHING

AREA UNDER MULCHING ( ha )

WORLD : 1,28,60,000

ASIA : 97,60,000

INDIA : 5000

CHINA ALONE IS COVERING 20,00,000 ha AREA UNDER

GROUND NUT MULCHING AND CONSUMES APPROX.
1,25,000 MT OF LLDPE
 CROPS SUITABLE FOR MULCHING

Sl. NO CROP AREA UNDER CULTIVATION

(ha)
1 POTATO 11,09,000

2 BHENDI 4,30,525
3 BRINJAL 4,34,202

4 TOMATO 3,55,684

5 CABBAGE 2,18,381
 AREAS OF APPLICATION OF PLASTIC
MULCHES
Mulching is mainly employed for
Moisture conservation in rain fed areas.
Reduction of irrigation frequency and water
saving in irrigated areas.
Soil temperature moderation in greenhouse
cultivation.
Soil solarisation for control of soil borne
diseases.
Reduce the rain impact, prevent soil erosion
and maintain soil structure.
In places where high value crops only to be
cultivated.
TYPES OF PLASTIC MULCHES

Black
Clear
Double Colour Mulch
Yellow/black
White/black
Silver/black
Red/brown
Reflective Mulch
Thermic Films
Co-extruded Films
Photo Degradable Mulch
 DETAILS OF LLDPE FILM USED FOR MULCHING

Crop Film Film Requirement Cost / ha @

thickness () Width (m) (Kg/ha) Rs. 120 / Kg
Melons 30 1.20 177 21240
Strawberry 40 1.00 327 39240
Tomato 40 1.60 327 39240
Bhendi 40 1.60 327 39240
Cucumber 30 1.20 213 25560
Beans 40 1.20 268 32160
Potato 40 1.20 268 32160
Banana 50 1.00 125 15000
Coconut 100 1.80 98 11781
Citrus 100 1.25 125 15000
 PRECAUTIONS IN MULCH LAYING

Do not stretch the film very tightly. It

should be loose enough to overcome the
expansion and shrinkage conditions
caused by temperature and the impacts of
cultural operation.

The slackness for black film should be

more as the expansion, shrinkage
phenomenon is maximum in this colour.

The film should not be laid on the hottest

time of the day, when the film will be in
expanded condition.
 LAYING METHODS IN EARLY STAGE
OF ORCHARDS AND MEDIUM GROWN
TREES
 IRRIGATION PRACTICES UNDER
MULCHING

In drip irrigation the lateral pipelines are laid

under the mulch film
In case inter-cultivation need to be carried out,
it is better to keep the laterals and drippers on
top of the mulch film and regulate the flow of
water through a small pipe or through the holes
made on the mulch film
In flooding the irrigation water passes through
the semi circular holes on the mulch sheet.
PREPUNCHED 25 MICRON BLACK LLDPE FILM IN BHENDI
 ECONOMICS OF MULCHING

Mulching is carried out in strips covering 50

to 60 % of the field area.
Cost of mulching material which again
depends upon the thickness of longevity.
Increase in yield.
Increase in return due to bringing additional
area under cultivation.
Differential market value of the product
based on quality.
Cost of cultivation.
Cost Economics of Mulching for Bhendi Crop
Black LLDPE
Sl. No. Particulars Control
film mulch
1 Cost of cultivation (Rs. / ha) 16000 21000
2 Cost of mulch film per season 16600 --
3 Total seasonal cost (2+1) 32600 21000
4 Yield of produce (kg/ha) 11660 7770
5 Market price (Rs./kg) 6.00 6.00
6 Revenue (Rs./ha) 69960 46620
7 Total expenditure 32600 * 21000
8 Net income 37360 25620
9 Difference in net seasonal income 11740
10 Benefit cost ratio 1.45 : 1
* 60% area covered with film, 50 micron film of 1 kg cover 22 sq. m
SEVEN MICRON TRANSPARENT LLDPE MULCH FOR GROUND NUT
GROWING OF FOUR ROWS IN A BED UNDER MULCHING
25 MICRON BLACK LLDPE MULCH FILM IN TWO ROWS OF BHENDI
 Drip Irrigation and Plastic
Mulching in Amla

Drip irrigation with 10 litres of water on

alternate days coupled with plastic
mulching in amla produced higher
yields (40 kg/tree) compared to un-
mulched plants given surface irrigation.
 Effect of Plastic Low Tunnels and
Mulching on Crop Performance

Performance of different crops, viz., green

gram, soybean, lablab, gingelly, bhendi and
amaranthus under plastic low tunnels with or
without mulching was evaluated.
The investigations revealed that the
germination percentage and vegetative
growth of these crops were higher under low
tunnel conditions.
With regard to yield, amaranthus, green gram
and soybean yielded higher, while lab lab,
bhendi and gingelly recorded lower yields
under low tunnels.
Low tunnels mulching
 RECENT ADVANCES IN SYNTHETIC
MULCHING
COLOUR MULCHES

Like people , plants have their favorite colours too

There are four types of mulch films, they are:

transparent , black , co-extruded, colour

CROP COLOUR
Tomato, cotton Red

Potato,pepper White

Tobacco Reflective film

COLOUR MULCHES
 MECHANISATION IN MULCH
FILM LAYING
One of the constraints in adopting mulching
on large scale is labour intensive.

Countries like china , israel is following

tractor drawn machines.

Ground nut and vegetable mulching needs

mechanisation.

CIAE, Bhopal and Indo Israel project , New

Delhi developed tractor mounted as well as
bullock operated mulch film laying
machines.
CHINA EXPERIENCE ON PMG
TRACTOR DRAWN MACHINE USED IN CHINA
FILM LAYING AND TRANSPLANTING
BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY
MACHINE DEVELOPED AT RAIPUR
MACHINE USED BY PEPSI FOR TOMATO /GNUT MULCHING
 CONCLUSIONS
Plasticulture is crucial to Indian agriculture in
view of the changing technological scenario for
boosting crop yields and productivity.
Introduction of linear low density polyethylene
(LLDPE) as a mulch film has brought a revolution
in agricultural water management. It is actually a
boon to dryland farmers.
This is one of the fastest growing plasticultural
applications in the world.
The cost of LLDPE film is also lesser than one
third of LDPE mulch film.
Moreover for mulch activity lower thickness (15
to 20 microns) are highly suitable. However due
to ever increasing cost of raw materials the films
are costlier now.
(Contd)
Government should take all possible
measures to produce the film in a mass scale
and make it available to the farmers at a
reasonable price.
Subsidy may also be given through banks to
encourage the farmer to adoption soil
mulching.
Low cost machines may be developed for
spreading and rolling down the film in the
field.
PFDCs may be geared up for large scale
demonstration in farmers field to give a wide
publicity.
THANK YOU !