Straw mulch thickness for vegetables, nitrogen immobilisation from high carbon residue, how to manage.
How thick should paddy straw mulch be in vegetables and does it lock up nitrogen?
TTukaram Jadhav5mo ago · 155 views
6 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓5mo ago
For organic mulches like paddy straw or sugarcane trash in vegetables, a layer about 5 to 10 cm thick gives good weed suppression and moisture conservation while still letting water in; spread it after the crop establishes and keep it a little away from the stem to avoid rot. One real issue is that high carbon residues like straw can temporarily tie up soil nitrogen as microbes decompose them, briefly starving the crop, especially when straw is mixed into soil rather than left on top. Manage this by leaving straw as a surface mulch rather than incorporating it just before sowing, and by giving a little extra nitrogen early if you see pale plants. As it breaks down it returns nutrients and builds organic carbon. Adjust nitrogen to your Soil Health Card and KVK; do not over apply.
BBhaskar Shinde5mo ago
I keep the straw on top as a mulch and never dig it in just before planting, exactly to avoid that nitrogen lock up the team mentioned. When I did plough fresh straw in once, the next crop went yellow and hungry for a few weeks. On the surface it just slowly feeds the soil instead.
AAnanda Gaikwad4mo ago
Keep the mulch a hand's width away from the stems. I packed it right against my brinjal stems and got stem rot in the damp under the straw. Pulling it back a little fixed that. The mulch is great for moisture, you just do not want it hugging the plant.
VVishnu Pawar4mo ago
The moisture saving in summer is the big win for me. Under the straw the soil stays damp far longer so I water less often and there are hardly any weeds. If you see the plants looking a bit pale early on, a small extra urea dose sorts it while the straw settles in.
SSambhaji Pawar3mo ago
On my chilli the straw mulch kept the soil cool and damp through summer so I watered far less and weeds were almost gone. Just keep it a little off the stems. The water saving alone paid for the labour of spreading it.
MMaruti Kale3mo ago
Do not plough fresh straw into the soil right before sowing or it ties up the nitrogen and the crop goes hungry for weeks. I learned to leave it on the surface as a mulch instead. On top it slowly feeds the soil without robbing the crop.