Photos and Videos
Some of the Hydromulch Ingredients Being Tested at Montana State University
Left to right top: Paper and guar, wood and guar blended, U-Haul wrapping paper
Left to right bottom: Psyllium husks, blending ingredients, samples in the oven
Testing Hydromulch Materials in the Lab at Montana State University
This video shows Andrew Durado of Montana State University preparing hydromulch samples in the lab for testing. The materials in this sample include cellulosic material, tackifier, and water. The materials are combined in a bucket and then blended until a smooth slurry is obtained. This slurry is poured over a screen to drain excess water and then dried to obtain a uniform mulch sample. The mulch samples are then evaluated for various properties such as density, puncture resistance, tensile strength, porosity, and rain fastness to determine the most affective mulch formulation.
Applying Hydromulch in Blueberry at Washington State University
Ben Weiss of Washington State University applies hydromulch in blueberry in March, 2023
Experimental Application of Hydromulch at North Dakota State University
This video shows a preliminary application of hydromulch in 2020. New and more efficient application methods for different scales of production are currently in development!
Funding
This project was funded in 2014 by the Organic Research and Extension Initiative grant, part of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Grant number 2021-51300-34909.