Effects of mulching on soil temperature and moisture in the rain-fed farmland of summer corn in the Taihang Mountain of China

In this research, the effects of wheat straw and plastic film mulching on soil temperature and moisture dynamics in the rain-fed farmland of summer corn were investigated. The experiment was conducted in the Hilly Ecological Experimental Station of Chinese Academy of Sciences located in the lower Taihang Mountain in 2009. The experimental design was completely randomized with three treatments. These three treatments were control condition without mulching, mulching by wheat straw and mulching by plastic film. There were three replications for each treatment. Results indicated that soil temperature in the farmland mulched by wheat straw was lower at daytime but higher at night-time than the control (without mulching). Over the entire growing season, the accumulated soil temperature in the farmland mulched by wheat straw was lower than the control by 22.5oC. Soil temperature in the farmland mulched by film was higher at both daytime and night-time than the control. Over the entire growing season, the accumulated soil temperature in the farmland mulched by film was higher than the control by 159.5oC. The soil moisture in the farmland mulched by wheat straw and film was higher than the control, especially at middle and end growing season of summer corn. The mulching helps the soil water move to the deep soil and increases the soil moisture storage. At the end growing season, the soil water content in the farmland mulched by wheat straw and film was higher than the control by 15.4% and 17.6%, respectively.