Abstract
Abstract Straw mulching is an effective measure to conserve soil moisture. However, the existence of straw on the soil surface also affects soil temperature, which in turn influences crop growth, especially of winter crops. Five‐year field experiments (2000–2005) investigated the effects of straw mulching and straw mass on soil temperature, soil evaporation, crop growth and development, yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) at Luancheng Station on the North China Plain. Soil is a moderately well‐drained loamy soil with a deep profile at the station. Two quantities of mulch were used: 3000 kg ha −1 [less mulching (LM)] and 6000 kg ha −1 [more mulching (MM)], representing half and all of the straw from the previous crop (maize). In the control (CK), the full quantity of mulch was ploughed into the top 20 cm of soil. The results showed that the existence of straw on the soil surface reduced the maximum, but increased the minimum diurnal soil temperature. When soil temperature was decreasing (from November to early February the next year), soil temperature (0–10 cm) under straw mulching was on average 0.3°C higher for LM and 0.58°C higher for MM than that without mulching (CK). During the period when soil temperature increased (from February to early April, the recovery and jointing stages of winter wheat), average daily soil temperature of 0–10 cm was 0.42°C lower for LM and 0.65°C lower for MM than that of CK. With the increase in leaf area index, the effect of mulching on soil temperature gradually disappeared. The lower soil temperature under mulch in spring delayed the development of winter wheat up to 7 days, which on average reduced the final grain yield by 5% for LM and 7% for MM compared with CK over the five seasons. Mulch reduced soil evaporation by 21% under LM and 40% under MM compared with CK, based on daily measuring of microlysimeters. However, because yield was reduced, the overall WUE was not improved by mulch.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Surface mulch reduced maximum diurnal soil temperature.
- Taxon
- winter wheat
Triticum aestivumt0 - Treatment
- straw on the soil surfacee0
- Outcome
- maximum, but increased the minimum diurnal soil temperaturee0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the existence of straw on the soil surface reduced the maximum, but increased the minimum diurnal soil temperature.”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Surface mulch increased minimum diurnal soil temperature.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- straw on the soil surfacee0
- Outcome
- minimum diurnal soil temperaturee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the existence of straw on the soil surface reduced the maximum, but increased the minimum diurnal soil temperature.”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Less mulch raised cooling-period soil temperature by 0.3°C relative to control.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- LMe0
- Outcome
- soil temperature (0–10 cm)e0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 0.3°Ce0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil temperature (0–10 cm) under straw mulching was on average 0.3°C higher for LM and 0.58°C higher for MM than that without mulching (CK).”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
More mulch raised cooling-period soil temperature by 0.58°C relative to control.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- MMe0
- Outcome
- soil temperature (0–10 cm)e0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 0.58°Ce0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soil temperature (0–10 cm) under straw mulching was on average 0.3°C higher for LM and 0.58°C higher for MM than that without mulching (CK).”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Less mulch lowered spring soil temperature by 0.42°C.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- LMe0
- Outcome
- average daily soil temperature of 0–10 cme0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 0.42°Ce0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“average daily soil temperature of 0–10 cm was 0.42°C lower for LM and 0.65°C lower for MM than that of CK.”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
More mulch lowered spring soil temperature by 0.65°C.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- MMe0
- Outcome
- average daily soil temperature of 0–10 cme0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Value
- 0.65°Ce0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“average daily soil temperature of 0–10 cm was 0.42°C lower for LM and 0.65°C lower for MM than that of CK.”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch effects on soil temperature diminished as leaf area index increased.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Outcome
- effect of mulching on soil temperaturee0
- Direction
- disappearede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“With the increase in leaf area index, the effect of mulching on soil temperature gradually disappeared.”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower spring soil temperature under mulch delayed wheat development by up to seven days.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- mulche0
- Outcome
- development of winter wheate0
- Direction
- delayede0
- Value
- up to 7 dayse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The lower soil temperature under mulch in spring delayed the development of winter wheat up to 7 days”
Claim · model-written summary
Less mulch reduced final grain yield by 5%.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- LMe0
- Outcome
- final grain yielde0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 5%e0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduced the final grain yield by 5% for LM and 7% for MM compared with CK over the five seasons.”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
More mulch reduced final grain yield by 7%.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- MMe0
- Outcome
- final grain yielde0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 7%e0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduced the final grain yield by 5% for LM and 7% for MM compared with CK over the five seasons.”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Less mulch reduced soil evaporation by 21%.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- LMe0
- Outcome
- soil evaporatione0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 21%e0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mulch reduced soil evaporation by 21% under LM and 40% under MM compared with CK”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
More mulch reduced soil evaporation by 40%.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- MMe0
- Outcome
- soil evaporatione0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 40%e0
- Comparator
- CKe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Mulch reduced soil evaporation by 21% under LM and 40% under MM compared with CK”
t0“winter wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulch did not improve overall water use efficiency.
- Taxon
- winter wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- mulche0
- Outcome
- overall WUEe0
- Direction
- not improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the overall WUE was not improved by mulch.”
t0“winter wheat”
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