POWDER OR GRANULAR MULCH MATERIAL AND MULCH-LAYING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mulch material high in safety, easy to lay down and free from necessity of removing used mulch material by effectively using carbonized biomass such as rice hull smoked charcoal, carbonized bagasse, etc., and to provide a simple method for laying down the mulch. SOLUTION: The invention relates to the powder or granular mulch material comprising 100 pts.wt. of carbonized biomass powder or granule, 3-30 pts.wt. of a water soluble polymer which has a gelling property. The water soluble polymer is selected from a natural polymer, semi-synthetic polymer or a biodegradable synthetic polymer, and the carbonized biomass with a hydrophobic property obtained by treating with a repellent is preferred. The invention relates to the powder or granular mulch material comprising 100 pts.wt. of carbonized biomass powder or granule with the hydrophobic property obtained by treating with the repellent, 5-20 pts.wt. of the water soluble polymer having gelling property selected from the natural polymer, semi-synthetic polymer and biodegradable synthetic polymer. The invention relates to the method for laying down the mulch material comprising spraying the power or granular mulch material on a surface of field for forming a black mulch film comprising the carbonized biomass as the filler and the gelled water soluble polymer as a matrix. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI