Objectives of the Proposal
- Development of sustainable and biodegradable mulch for Agro Textiles application using
Deccani Wool Fibre.
- To enhance the durability of the natural fibre-based mulch by adding natural biopolymers
such as chitosan, alginate, and starch.
- Incorporation of micronutrient in developed mulch for crop and soil enrichment.
- Field trial of the developed wool fibre-based mulch for selected fruit and vegetable
crops to study its effect on phenology and agronomic traits.
- To study the life span of developed mulching in terms of biodegradability and soil
enrichment compared with existing polyethylene-based material.
Progress of the Project
A field study was conducted at Dr. Annasaheb Shinde College of Agricultural Engineering &
Technology, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth Rahuri, comparing the performance of different
mulching materials during the first season with groundnut and green chilli crops.
The study included 100% wool mulch, conventional synthetic mulch, and micronutrient-coated
wool mulch.