Influence of organic mulching on soil moisture retention and productivity of soybean

Abstract:

While synthetic mulch films have dominated conservation research for decades, low-cost organic mulches deserve equal attention in dryland soybean systems where plastic disposal is a growing concern. This research compared four organic mulch materials paddy straw, sugarcane trash, dry leaf litter, and coir pith against an unmulched control on soil moisture retention, weed suppression, and soybean (Glycine max L.) productivity at Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, during the kharif seasons of 2022 and 2023. Paddy straw mulch at 5 t ha⁻¹ maintained the highest gravimetric soil moisture (19.7% at 60 DAS), reduced weed dry weight by 54.3%, and raised grain yield to 2.41 t ha⁻¹ a 37.8% increase over the unmulched control (1.75 t ha⁻¹). Sugarcane trash followed closely. Organic mulches also improved soil organic carbon by 0.08–0.14% over two seasons. These results show that paddy straw is the most effective and locally available organic mulch for dryland soybean in the Bundelkhand region.