Mulching is the practice of covering soil with organic material or plastic film to conserve moisture, suppress weeds and moderate temperature, directly influencing harvest cleanliness and disease pressure in berry and vegetable crops.
In trade practice
Growers apply straw, wood chip or polyethylene film between crop rows before or at planting. In strawberry and raspberry production, film mulch keeps fruit off the soil, reducing Botrytis risk and physical contamination at harvest. Organic certification auditors verify that mulch materials meet permitted-substance lists under the applicable control body scheme. Buyers sourcing organic frozen fruit may request confirmation of mulch type as part of supplier questionnaires.
In a specification
A crop production specification may require that mulch materials are free from synthetic herbicide residues and, for organic supply, approved under the relevant certification scheme.