Mango growers slash chemical use
Mango growers slash chemical use
Mango mulch improves ground cover
Any gardener knows that applying lawn clippings to garden beds will protect and nourish plants, but replicating that at the farm-scale requires the right equipment.
Thanks to a Reef Rescue grant to purchase a new seven foot side delivery slasher, Ian and Gloria Pershouse are now able to easily apply slashed mulch to mango trees across 18 hectares of their Sunnyvale property.
The Pershouses believe that over time the addition of mulch under their trees will dramatically improve ground cover to close to 100 percent, as well as reduce weeds and the need for pesticides and fertilisers.
The farming system used on Sunnyvale was exposing soil under the canopy of the mango trees and leading to a build-up of nutrients and organic matter in-between the rows. There was even more grass than usual growing in the inter-row area this year due to a wetter than normal summer.
The exposed soil around the base of the mango trees was prone to erosion when it rained. The bare soil also meant little competition for weeds, and the Pershouses would apply herbicide along the tree line about six times a year.
By partnering with Fitzroy Basin Association and industry group Growcom, the Pershouses are now able to distribute organic matter harvested from the inter-row under the tree canopy to cover the ground and reduce erosion.
Less topsoil washing away from rain splashing on the bare earth will limit sediment run-off into nearby Boyne River. The mulch will also suppress weed growth resulting in up to 50 percent fewer herbicide applications per year, which means less chemical run-off to waterways.
In the longer-term, the additional organic matter breaking down will result in less need for fertilisers, with the added benefits of improved soil structure and stability, and therefore better water-use-efficiency.
All because of grass clippings!
