The Effect of a Sand Interlayer on Soil Evaporation during the Seasonal Freeze–Thaw Period in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River

Jing Xue,Huijun Feng,Xiuqing Zheng,Junfeng Chen,Qi Du

doi:10.3390/w12082092

Abstract

Reducing soil evaporation in arid and semi-arid areas of the Yellow River Basin greatly benefits the efficient utilization of water resources in winter and spring, particularly during the seasonal freeze–thaw period. We conducted a field experiment in winter to understand the influences of different sand interlayers (depths of 5, 10, and 15 cm and particle sizes of 0.5–1.5 mm and 2.0–2.5 mm) on soil evaporation during the seasonal freeze–thaw period. The results show that the sand interlayer reduced soil evaporation during the seasonal freeze–thaw period. Decreasing the depth of the sand layer was more effective at reducing the evaporation than increasing the grain size. Soil evaporation reduced as the sand interlayer approached the surface. With constant particle size, total soil evaporation decreased by 40%, 20%, and 18% for sand interlayer depths of 5, 10, and 15 cm, respectively, compared to the homogeneous soil column. With a constant sand interlayer depth, the inhibition of soil evaporation for a particle size of 0.5–1.5 mm was clear. That is significant for improving the efficient utilization of water resources and sustainable development of agriculture in the Yellow River Basin.

Highlights

The Jinzhong Basin, located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, is a major grain production base in Shanxi Province [1]
The results demonstrate that the sand interlayer reduced water loss from the soil columns, especially for the sand layer placed at 5 cm
12.1 mm in11.5 the overlying layer, 11.1 and mm, while reduction soilapproximately water storage 11.5 was and approximately and 12.1 mm in the overlying layer, respectively. These results demonstrate that the soil water amount was approximately 0.4–0.8 mm, as it migrates from the overlying to the underlying layers, and water loss by soil evaporation was primarily mainly sourced from the overlying layer

Summary

Introduction

The Jinzhong Basin, located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, is a major grain production base in Shanxi Province [1]. Soil water content prior to spring sowing is largely dependent on soil evaporation characteristics during the freeze–thaw period [3,4]. In the absence of autumn irrigation, soil evaporation from a bare plot was approximately 30 mm during the freeze–thaw period in this region [5]. High soil evaporation in the winter and spring create serious water resource shortages for spring sowing and summer planting. To mitigate these drought-related impacts, many methods to inhibit soil evaporation have been investigated [6]. Sand-layered soil is a common soil structure in the alluvial areas of the Jinzhong basin, greatly influencing soil evaporation [7]

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Conclusion