Effects of windy sand and LECA mulches on decreasing evaporation from soil surface

Abstract

Inadequate moisture supply is one of the important factors limiting crop yields in the world. Increasing the efficiency of moisture available has an important role on the crop-producing capacity of the soil. This paper presents the results of the laboratory experiments conducted to assess the influence of two mulches of windy sand and light expanded clay aggregate (LECA) with three thicknesses (1, 3, and 4 cm) on soil surface in soil columns. Loamy soil was taken from the experimental site in Bayaz of Rafsanjan (a city in Kerman province in Iran). These experiments were done as completely randomized design with two treatments of mulches (windy sand and LECA) and tree replicates. The results show that the columns of treated soil with mulches had lower evaporation as compared to the control. The rate of evaporation from the soil surface of columns was decreased with increasing the thickness from 1 to 4 cm of each of the two mulches. The LECA mulch was more effective in reducing evaporation from the soil surface than the windy sand mulch with the same thicknesses. The most effective among the thicknesses for mulches was 3 cm.