Over the years, an increase in global temperature due to climate change, affects energy consumptions and water, especially in dryland areas. Increasing demand for herbal products in the market required a substantial increment in the productivity of herbal plants due to its habitat loss. In semiarid and rainfed areas where the water is scanty, an increase in the incorporation of different types of mulch over the surface of the soil is the key to meet the increasing demand for herbs. Previous studies revealed that using organic and inorganic mulch over the soil surface significantly decreased the evaporation rate, increased moisture content and soil temperature, reduces soil erosion, suppresses weed growth, and alters physico-chemical and biological properties of the soil. The collected information of this review described the role of different mulches in altering the soil environment, growth, yield, and quality of herbal plants. Among mulches, inorganic mulches are proved to be beneficial in the context of soil environment and growth and productivity of herbal plants as compared to organic mulches. On the other hand, organic mulches are inexpensive, affordable, easily available, and are eco-friendly. The installation of appropriate mulching is necessary to cover the soil surface, depending on the climatic conditions, crop type, and management practices to increase the output of the production. Future research is essential to study the effect of organic mulches on microclimatic modification, physiological aspects, and quality of product and its economics. Therefore, there is a requirement for more research to understand the mechanism responsible for the observed aspects. Thus, in this review article, an attempt was made to collect information on the role of mulch to soil environment and herbal plant production.

多年来，由于气候变化导致的全球温度升高影响能源消耗和水，特别是在干旱地区。市场上对草药产品的需求不断增加，由于其栖息地的丧失，要求草药植物的生产力大大提高。在半干旱和雨水稀少的地区，增加土壤表面不同类型覆盖物的掺入量是满足对草药日益增长的需求的关键。先前的研究表明，在土壤表面使用有机和无机覆盖物会大大降低蒸发速率，增加水分含量和土壤温度，减少土壤侵蚀，抑制杂草生长并改变土壤的理化和生物学特性。这篇综述收集的信息描述了不同覆盖物在改变土壤环境，生长，产量和草药植物质量方面的作用。在覆盖物中，与有机覆盖物相比，无机覆盖物在土壤环境以及草药植物的生长和生产力方面被证明是有益的。另一方面，有机覆盖物价格便宜，负担得起，易于获得并且对环境友好。必须安装适当的覆盖物以覆盖土壤表面，这取决于气候条件，作物类型和管理措施，以增加生产量。未来的研究对于研究有机覆盖物对微气候变化，生理方面，产品质量及其经济性的影响至关重要。因此，需要进行更多的研究以了解造成观察到的方面的机制。因此，在这篇综述文章中，人们试图收集有关覆盖物对土壤环境和草药植物生产的作用的信息。