Effects of Surface Mulching on the Growth and Water Consumption of Maize

Abstract

This study provides understandings of the effect of mulching on the growth, development, and water consumption of dry maize. Parameters including soil temperature, soil water-filled pore space (WFPS), water storage capacity, water consumption, grain yield, water-use efficiency, and biomass yields were followed and analyzed by applying straw mulching (SM), gravel mulching (GM), and plastic film mulching (FM). The results show that the soil temperature (0–20 cm) throughout the whole observation period (2011–2013) was significantly increased by applying GM and FM, while SM reduced the soil temperature. SM increased the WFPS, while FM and GM showed no significant effect. SM and FM increased the soil water storage and water-use efficiency in the early stages of maize growth (from sowing to vegetative growth) compared with using GM. With the progress of time, fewer differences between all treatments were observed. Water consumption of the three treatments was in the order of SM < FM < GM, indicating that SM was the most effective in preventing water evaporation. The resulting yields of corn also varied. Compared with the control, FM significantly increased the yields by 1.7, 0.5, and 2.2 ton/ha in the tested three years, respectively. In contrast, GM showed no significant difference in the three years, and SM showed no significant difference in 2011 and 2012 but increased the yield by 2.2 ton/ha in 2013. FM is shown to be an effective method for increasing the yields of corn for the studied region, GM is not recommended, and SM is the most effective in improving the water availability in the soil, while its effect on corn yields needs to be further explored.