EFFECT OF MULCHES ON SOIL PROPERTIES

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The straw mulch saved moisture equivalent to 2 or 3 inches of rainfall in dry weather. The moisture saving was principally in the upper 2 feet of soil. The trash mulch had a lesser moisture-saving effect. Nitrates were as high under straw mulch as under clean cultivation. The soil that was cultivated or mulched with straw was higher in nitrates than the plot that was scraped to control vegetation. The straw mulch caused a marked increase in soluble K but not much increase in the Ca in the top soil. Trash mulch increased the soluble K to a lesser extent than did the straw. Straw increased the humus content of the top soil to a greater extent than did the trash. Both straw and trash caused an increase in the water-stable aggregates. The increase in the larger aggregates was most noticeable.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: