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Web image: Photo of plastic being used as a mulch to conserve soil moisture available for plant growthMulching (with plastic)

Practice Code: 484
Reporting Unit: Acre (Ac.)

Mulching is applying a protective cover of plant residues or other suitable material not produced on the site to the soil surface.

Purposes and Benefits

  • Mulching promotes better water quality by reducing sediment and runoff, and increasing water infiltration

  • Conserves soil moisture

  • Reduces soil erosion

  • Suppresses weed growth

Conservation Practice Support Documents

Support Documents for this conservation practice are available for download from an abbreviated version of Section IV of the NRCS Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG).

Web link image: Field Office Technical GuideAll support documents associated with this and other conservation practices are available at the NRCS Field Office Technical Guide Web site.

 

Related Conservation Practices

This practice is commonly used in a Conservation Management System with practices such as:

Conservation Crop Rotation (328)
Contour Farming (330)
Critical Area Planting (342)

If you encounter any problems with links or documents provided on this page, please contact Ivy Allen, Public Affairs Specialist, at 315-477-6524.

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