Rental Program Gives Small Farmers the Advantages of Plasticulture
Joe Nusser, a farmer near Zebulon in Franklin County, is straightforward when he talks about the value of using plasticulture on his farm. “With the lack of rain and the heat we’ve had, I would’ve lost all my plants,” said Nusser, who farms about 15 acres and raises beef cattle. “I wouldn’t have had any production without the plastic mulch to protect the plants and hold in the moisture.” For Nusser, the program helped him produce a crop of juicy watermelon in 2022 as well as peppers, squash and zucchini.
After the hot, dry weather of 2022, Joe Nusser is a believer in plasticulture.
“With the lack of rain and the heat we’ve had, I would’ve lost all my plants,” said Nusser, who farms about 15 acres and raises beef cattle near Zebulon in Franklin County. “I wouldn’t have had any production without the plastic mulch to protect the plants and hold in the moisture.”
Nusser planted more crops this year because he knew he could avoid water problems by using plastic mulch. Because the expense of plasticulture puts it beyond the reach of many small farmers, he turned for help to Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T.
“Due to the high initial cost of purchasing plasticulture equipment, small farmers do not routinely take advantage of the benefits of plasticulture production,” said Randy Fulk, extension associate in horticulture production at Extension at A&T.
Among those benefits, Fulk said, are earlier harvests, better weed control, enhanced watering efficiency and better plant nutrition by targeting nutrient applications through drip irrigation lines that run underneath the plastic layer. Plasticulture production results in a cleaner crop because no soil splashes on plants when it rains. It also reduces water usage, disease pressure, and the amount of fertilizer needed, and it can increase yields and profits.
To make plasticulture production more affordable for small farmers, Extension at A&T launched the Plasticulture Equipment Rental Cash Back program in 2018. The equipment is provided at county extension centers across the state for $25 a day. The savings are significant because the piece of equipment used to spread plastic mulch costs about $2,100, Fulk said. The rental program focuses on educating farmers about the value of plasticulture.
Julius Griffin, owner and operator of Jewels of Health in Louisburg, has used plasticulture for the past four years on his small organic farm. Without the rental program, Griffin said, the plastic mulch plus the tractor and other equipment needed to install it could have cost him as much as $35,000 over those years.
“It’s greatly beneficial for weed control and really helps out with the bottom line because you don’t have to buy expensive equipment you only use once a year,” he said.
Both Griffin and Nusser learned about the program from William Landis, the agriculture and natural resources agent in Franklin County. Landis, who is a nonvoting member of the Small Farm Association board, held demonstrations on Nusser’s farm in 2021 and 2022. Nusser used the program to rent the equipment he needed to roll out and install the plastic and drip tubes.
“One reason I wanted to try plasticulture was to have a water source,” said Nusser, president of the N.C. Small Farm Association. “Overhead watering with sprinklers just evaporates before the water can sink in. Now I can turn the drip system on for about an hour in the evening and the plastic will hold the moisture in.”
Photo from the collection of William Landis, the agriculture and natural resources agent in Franklin County, who scheduled this demonstration on Nusser’s farm last year. Nusser took advantage of the program and rented the equipment needed to roll out and install the plastic and drip tubes.
Since its inception in 2018, the plasticulture program has grown significantly. That first year, seven small, limited-resource farmers took part. By 2021, 456 farmers in 14 counties had used it. Fulk said the program saved small farmers $12,440 in its initial year and a total of $110,445 through 2021. With new rental locations in Caswell and Currituck counties, the program is expected to expand in 2022 and 2023.
Researchers with Extension at A&T and A&T’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences stay abreast of the latest developments in plasticulture. An ongoing research trial at the N.C. A&T University Farm is evaluating the performance of crops using different-colored mulches. Another project is examining five types of degradable plastic mulch to cut down on plastic waste generated by plasticulture.
“The use of pigmented mulches represents potential increased revenue for small farmers,” Fulk said. “In terms of the degradable mulch trial, it could mean labor cost savings and environmental benefits.”
For Nusser, the program helped him produce watermelons, peppers, squash and zucchini this year. Griffin used plasticulture to grow watermelons, organic vegetables and ginger.
‘This is a great program to have available for someone like me,” Nusser said. “I don’t have to worry about storage or maintenance. The only thing I have to do is clean (the equipment) and take it back.”
