Abstract
Aim of study: We investigated water evaporation of the soil surface and the soil water distribution under different mulching techniques using subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system.
Area of study: The experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research and Experimental Farm in Dirab, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, locating 24.4195 degrees N, 46.65 degrees E, and 552 m altitude.
Material and methods: The two types of soil surface mulching were black plastic film ( BPF) and palm tree waste (PTW), with no mulching (NM) as control. The two drip line depths from the soil surface (D-L) were 15 cm and 25 cm, and surface drip irrigation (DI) was the control.
Main results: In SDI, the use of BPF or PTW mulching resulted in enhanced water retention capacity of the soil and an approximately 6% water saving, compared with NM. The amounts of water saved at D-L of 15 cm (19-24 mm) were greater than those at D-L of 25 cm (15-20 mm), whereas the DI used the highest amount of applied water. The distribution of soil water content for BPF and PTW were found to be more uniform than NM.
Research highlights: It is advised to mulch the soil with PTW due to lower costs and through a D-L of 15 cm.