Mulch

Lore & Background

No canonical lore exists for a 'Mulch' entity in Risk of Rain or Risk of Rain 2. The information previously provided is unrelated to the games.

In Their Own Story

The use of plastic mulches along with the use of drip irrigation has many benefits. Dark mulches and clear mulches intercept sunlight and warm the soil, allowing earlier planting as well as encouraging faster growth early in the growing season. White mulch reflects heat from the sun, effectively reducing soil temperature. Plastic mulches reduce the amount of water lost from the soil due to evaporation, meaning less water will be needed for irrigation. They also aid in evenly distributing moisture to the soil, which reduces plant stress. Plastic mulches prevent sunlight from reaching the soil which can inhibit most annual and perennial weeds. Clear plastics prevent weed growth. Holes in the mulch for plants tend to be the only pathway for weeds to grow. The use of drip irrigation in conjunction with plastic mulch allows one to reduce leaching of fertilizers. Plastic mulches keep ripening fruits off of the soil, decreasing fruit rot as well as keeping the fruit and vegetables clean. The plastic mulch covering the soil decreases the crusting effect of rain and sunlight. The reduction in weed quantity means a decreased need for mechanical cultivation. The soil underneath the plastic mulch stays loose and well aerated, with the mulch protecting the soil it covers from erosion. The use of plastic mulch creates a practically weed-free area around the plant, removing the need for cultivation except between the rows of plastic. Root damage associated with cultivation is therefore eliminated.

Reader's Guide

The benefits from using plastic mulch come at a higher cost than planting in bare soil. These costs include equipment, the plastic film used as the mulch, transplanters designed for plastic beds, and additional labor during installation and removal of mulch films. Specialized mulch application equipment must be used to install plastic mulch beds into a field. These machines shape the soil and apply the plastic to the prepared soil. Transplanters designed for plastic mulch can be used to plant the desired crop. Hand transplanting is an option, but this is rather inefficient. The removal of plastic mulch also contributes to a higher cost through additional labor and equipment needed. Specialized designed undercutting equipment can be used to remove the plastic from the field after harvest. If conventional plastics (e.g. PE) are used as mulch films, they are likely to accumulate in soil, since the removal and the correct disposal of these plastics are technically and economically burdensome. This accumulation could cause both crop yield reduction and environmental problems. Biodegradable polymers provide a more sustainable alternative to conventionally used plastics for mulch films. Aliphatic polyesters and aliphatic-aromatic co-polyesters have shown to be promising groups of biodegradable polymers. The use of plastic mulch requires a unique application process. A machine called a plastic layer or a bed shaper is pulled over the field creating a row of plastic mulch covering a planting bed. These beds can be a flat bed or raised beds. The basic concept of the plastic bed shaper is a shaping box which creates the bed, that is then covered by plastic via a roller and two coulters that cover the edges of the plastic film to hold the plastic to the soil's surface. These plastic layers also place the drip irrigation line under the plastic while the machine lays the plastic. Planting also requires specialized planting equipment. The most common planting equipment is a waterwheel type transplanter. The waterwheel transplanter utilizes a rotating drum or drums with spikes at set intervals. The drum or drums have a water supply that continuously fills the drum with water. The transplanter rolls the spiked drum over the bed of plastic. As the drum presses a spike into the plastic, a hole is punched and water flows into the punched hole. A rider on the transplanter can then place a plant in the hole.

Did You Know?

• The name 'Mulch' does not appear in any official Risk of Rain game, update, or developer material.
• The previous entry's description of a 'Shopkeeper NPC' on the Moon or Bazaar accepting 'Money' is entirely fabricated and contradicts established canon.
• Risk of Rain 2's Bazaar Between Time is home to a shopkeeper named the 'Newt Altar' or the 'Bazaar NPC' (often called the 'Lunar Seer' or 'Heretic'), but no character named 'Mulch' exists.