Farmers getting drawn to mulching technology

By Kedar Timalsina,Banepa, Sept. 29: Recently, farmers have been attracted to mulching technology in agriculture as a means to boost production.

With the growing use of mulching technology, there is a challenge of management of plastic in the long-term which is used in mulching.

The Agriculture Development Office, Kavrepalanchowk and local levels have launched subsidy programms to attract farmers towards mulching technology. But the farmers have not been found to be aware of the long-term management of plastic used in mulching.

Kul Prasad Dawadi, Chief of the Agriculture Development Office, said that mulching technology has the advantages of maintaining soil moisture, controlling weeds and grasses, increasing yield by working as a thermoregulatory, less use of human resources and fast ripening of crops.

Despite having multiple benefits of using mulching technology, managing the plastic used in it is a challenge, said Dawadi.  

"There is a challenge in its long-term management as it does not easily melt, burning plastic pollutes the environment and air pollution, while if it is thrown away, it pollutes the air, soil and environment," he said.  He said that although the government has set a standard of using the plastic of at least 40 microns in mulching technology, most of the farmers use 25/30-micron plastic to reduce the cost amount.

Farmers have to use new plastic every year because they do not use the standard plastic prescribed by the government, so there is a problem in managing the plastic," added Dawadi. He said that if the plastic of 40 microns prescribed by the government is used, it can be used for three years.

In the market, 40 micron plastic rolls (100 meters) cost around Rs. 5,500 and 25/30 micron plastic rolls cost Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 4,000 per roll. 

Dawadi pointed out the need for organic mulch, which can be easily melted naturally, but such technology has not yet entered Nepal.

Bivekananda Mahat, an Agriculture Extension Officer at the Agriculture Development Office, said that mulching technology has also been included in the high-tech protected structure (bamboo or iron tunnel), vegetable cultivation and vegetable promotion programme every year.

He said that the farmers who are attracted to mulching through the office have been asked to use 40-micron plastic as per the government standards. 

He said that it was necessary for the concerned bodies to create awareness about the management of plastic, which is not useful for its use in mulching. At present, farmers have been throwing or burning the plastic.