2015 Volume 25 Issue 3 Pages 253-256
Wood waste obtained from forestry residue was converted into chips and then later into biomass boards by the high pressure steam and compression technology without using any chemical adhesives. Our investigations showed that converting wood chips into boards before applying them as ground covers could result in more benefits such as yield improvement, soil moisture conservation, soil temperature regulation, elimination of weeding or herbicide application, and an overall improvement in soil properties. Our experiments also revealed that impregnating urea into boards could improve their moisture holding capacities, retarded soil moisture loss and served as a source of nitrogen for crops, thereby boosting their overall function as mulches. Organic mulches are mainly used with the aim of conserving moisture, lowering soil temperatures near root zones, preventing erosion, suppressing weeds, and breaking the force of rain and irrigation water. Our investigations revealed that all these benefits can be best achieved if wood waste is converted into boards before applying them as mulches in small-scale farming.
