Abstract
Straw mulching is an effective agricultural technology to reduce soil water loss in arid and semi-arid areas. Herein, the soil temperature and soil water content of bare land (LD) and 5 cm (JG5), 10 cm (JG10), 15 cm (JG15), 20 cm (JG20) and 30 cm (JG30) straw mulch thicknesses were measured through field experiments performed to assess the soil water evaporation using the simultaneous heat and water model during a freeze–thaw period. The results showed that the inhibiting effect of straw mulching on soil water evaporation during the freeze-thaw period reached 24–56.7%, and straw mulch reduced the range of daily soil water evaporation by 2.02–2.48 mm, the effects of random factors on the daily soil water evaporation were significantly decreased. The highest soil water evaporation rate occurs during the unstable freezing stage, and the lowest occurs during the stable freezing stage. When the straw mulch thickness exceeded 10 cm, the effect of increasing straw mulch thickness on daily soil water evaporation was reduced. The straw mulch layer could not completely inhibit the effect of the external environment on soil water evaporation even when the straw mulch thickness was increased to 30 cm. This research results can provide a basis for the scientific evaluation and prevention of soil water evaporation in arid and semi-arid areas.
Highlights
Water resource serves as the essential natural factor which can limit the expansion and development of agriculture; soil water evaporation is vital in the balance of water resource in arid and semiarid areas [1,2]
The cumulative soil water evaporation of JG5, JG10, JG15, JG20 and JG30 was 20.52, 18.01, 15.67, 14.03 and 11.69 mm, indicating reductions of 24%, 33.30%, 41.96%, 48.04% and 56.70% compared to that of LD during the freeze–thaw period, respectively
The cumulative soil water evaporation of JG5, JG10, JG15, JG20 and JG30 were 27.0, 20.5, 18.0, 15.7, 14.0 and 11.7 mm, respectively, indicating reductions of 24%, 33.30%, 41.96%, 48.04% and 56.70%, respectively, compared to that of LD
Summary
Water resource serves as the essential natural factor which can limit the expansion and development of agriculture; soil water evaporation is vital in the balance of water resource in arid and semiarid areas [1,2]. It is essential to estimate soil water evaporation accurately, detect the factors affecting soil water evaporation, and take measures to control soil water evaporation for the quantification of water availability and water resources management in arid and semi-arid areas. Soil properties [4], groundwater level [5,6], irrigation methods [7,8], and meteorological conditions [9,10] can affect soil water evaporation. Biodegradability, and environmental friendliness [16], straw mulching is a significant method used to decrease soil water evaporation [17], conserve water and alleviate drought [18,19], increase production and income [20,21,22], and improve the ecological environment [23,24]
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