Mulching Practices for Sustainable Agriculture: Enhancing Yield, Soil Moisture, and Environmental Benefits in Field and Fruit Crops

Mulching has become a foundation of sustainable agriculture that is characterized by a variety of benefits in a variety of cropping systems. This review is a synthesis of recent evidence of the agronomic, ecological and economic effects of mulching with particular focus on the mulching in increasing yield, preserving soil moisture, and increasing the environmental resilience in both field and fruit crops. Mulching is the protective cover of soil, which checks temperature, pressure of weeds, and water loss, thus favoring plant growth. Organic mulches, e.g. straw, compost and crop residues are beneficial to long term soil fertility due to their gradual breakdown and release of nutrients and synthetic and biodegradable mulches have immediate effects of water retention and weed suppression. Mulches are also used in controlling erosion, as well as enhancing soil structure, which is very essential in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the soil. The invention of mulching materials, especially biodegradable and hybrid ones, is a potential way to lower the rate of plastic pollution and improve the environmental sustainability. Moreover, effective implementation of the mulching practice depends on the need to suit the strategy to special crops, soils, and climatic conditions, good policy backing and effective extension services. This review highlights the serious challenge toward the need to conduct interdisciplinary research and implementmulching systems centered on farmers to have a resilient and sustainable future of agriculture.