Plastic mulch for orchards and vegetables

Plastic mulch for orchards and vegetables refers to LDPE film laid over drip lines around the root zone of perennial fruit trees and seasonal vegetables. The film suppresses weeds, conserves soil moisture, raises root-zone temperature in winter and reduces surface humidity that promotes fruit-rot pathogens.

Principle

Orchards on widely-spaced layouts expose large areas of bare soil to evaporation, weed growth and rain-driven splashing of soil pathogens onto low-hanging fruit. A film of LDPE around each tree's root zone blocks evaporation, eliminates weed competition, and dampens diurnal soil-temperature swings. In pomegranate and watermelon, the film also sheds surface humidity that would otherwise foster anthracnose. Pairing with subsurface drip lines below the film optimises water delivery to the root zone while keeping the surface dry.

Implementation

Film thickness is 25-30 micron for short-cycle vegetables and 50-100+ micron for perennial fruit crops. The orchard-grade film is laid in strips along the tree row and anchored at the edges. Holes are cut around each trunk to allow gas exchange and prevent stem girdling. The MIDH plastic-mulching component subsidises film purchase, typically bundled with the drip subsidy under PMKSY-PDMC.

Adoption context

The technique is standard practice in commercial pomegranate (Maharashtra, Karnataka), watermelon and muskmelon (across cucurbit belts), apple (Himachal, Kashmir, J&K), banana, papaya and table grape blocks. It is a fixed component of the ultra-high-density mango orchard model.

Limitations

The film is non-biodegradable and generates field-level polythene waste at end of life. Mulch laying requires either skilled hand labour or a mechanical mulch-laying machine. Damaged film around plant holes leaks weeds. Hot summer sun reflecting off the film can scald young tree trunks if the hole is too tight to allow ventilation.

References

Using Plastic Mulches and Drip Irrigation for Vegetables. NC State Extension.