RADA Highlights Significance of Mulching

As drought conditions persist across the island, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is promoting mulching as a crucial technique in mitigating the effects of extreme heat on agricultural production.

Below average rainfall patterns and increasing daytime and nighttime temperatures have complex and multilevel implications, not just for plant health but also for the soil.

While moist soil absorbs water better than dry soil, the country’s consistently high temperatures mean the soil may not be able to absorb water efficiently.

Senior Plant Health and Food Safety Officer with RADA, Francine Webb, told JIS News in a recent interview that it has been dry for months, and the soil is what she described as “baked”.

“It tends to lose some of that structure, and what you have is that when it does rain, a lot of that rain runs off, and the water is lost,” she said.

This is where mulching comes in. The United States Department of Agriculture identifies mulching as a simple protective layer of material, spread on top of the soil.

Mulches can either be organic such as grass clippings, straw, bark chips, and similar materials, or inorganic such as stones, brick chips, and plastic. Both organic and inorganic mulches have numerous benefits.

With the El Niño phenomenon in full effect and recently upgraded to a super El Niño, the forecast for dry conditions is for the next six to eight months, well into 2027.

Ms. Webb said the Met Service’s recent seasonal forecast published in August, show “clear and concerning factors”.

“We’re talking about intensification of these conditions that we have been feeling for some time. So, regular dry conditions have now turned extreme. We are aware of the restrictions with the water. The forecast for September to November is indicating that the anticipation is there for us to get below normal rainfall across much of Jamaica,” she noted.

“So, we are talking about confidence levels of 40 to 50 per cent probability and that is below normal rainfall in most of the parishes… such as St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St. Catherine, Kingston, St. Andrew, Eastern St. Thomas, Portland, Northern Trelawny and Northern St. James,” she continued.

It is with this reality in mind that the call is being made to farmers and backyard gardeners, to do more mulching to protect their soil from moisture loss, extreme drying and to support plant health.

“Mulching is not a luxury feature on the farm. It is strategic and it is a survival strategy. Mulching is also going to help in reducing the level of moisture loss that you have from the soil, especially vegetative mulch,” Ms. Webb said.

“Vegetative mulch includes your grasses and green manure. It will also help in reducing how the rain penetrates the hard dry soil, reducing the level of runoff that you have, and enabling your soil to better utilise that moisture there, particularly if your crops are at those critical stages, such as your flowering or your fruiting,” she said.

At this stage, farmers are being encouraged to continue implementing climate-smart practices and to be vigilant on their farms as things change.

“Know what your water supply is and fix whatever leaks you have. Mulch is going to be critical and I know some farmers will say that they will have challenges with snails and slugs, because of the kind of conditions it creates. But we’re going to have to be more creative in terms of removing the kinds of rocks and twigs that are around that tend to encourage them,” Ms. Webb said.

“Perhaps using the slug baits a little more strategically can also help. The mulching is going to be important so that when you do apply the water, you are better able to retain that, so that the plant can better utilise it. The nutrients can better get to the plant to do what the plant does,” she added.

The drought also carries implications for pests and especially the types that feed by sucking.

“They will be there because the water is in such high demand. There are going to be more of them because their life cycle is being shortened, so you have to be mindful of when they are there and to act early. Just as how in human health systems, when we catch something earlier, it is better, it is a similar thing with pests under plants,” Ms. Webb said.

Drought conditions can also have implications for plant diseases. Farmers must act now to protect their investments, especially in high-value crops.

“This is the time to use protective sprays for diseases, because your crops will come down with challenges once there is moisture; you must be able to protect them in the dry period now, by using your contact fungicide sprays,” Ms. Webb explained.

“This so that you have that protective barrier on the leaves that will help to deal with whatever spores are sitting there. This is to reduce those disease incidents and create better conditions when we do get rains. I recommend farmers to speak more, open that dialogue with the extension officers. We have a number of RADA Connect activities going around, so you can reach out,” she said.