Core Ideas
Hydromulch was applied to disturbed, bare soil at two rates.
Micro‐Bowen ratio systems quantified soil temperature and evaporation.
Hydromulch moderated temperature fluctuations, especially daily maximums.
Hydromulch application reduced evaporation following rainfall.
North Dakota State Univ., Dep. of Soil Science, Fargo, ND 58108.
Soil disturbance reduces plant‐residue cover and can leave bare soil susceptible to erosion, extreme temperature fluctuations, and increased evaporation. Under such conditions, establishing vegetation is difficult. To overcome these difficulties, managing disturbed lands by applying surface cover may be a good step toward soil reclamation. Hydromulch is often applied to stabilize soil after disturbance, but its influence on soil temperature and evaporation has not been described. This study assessed soil temperature over time and used the surface energy balance to quantify evaporation from bare soil (0×), and two rates of hydromulch application, 1× and 3× (by weight) of manufacturer's recommended rate. Diurnal temperature extremes were highest in the 0× and least in the 3×. Evaporation was highest in the 0× during the final 18 d of data collection and lowest in the 3×. These findings indicate that temperature fluctuations decrease and evaporation is reduced when hydromulch is applied to bare soil, suggesting it may aid in soil reclamation.
Efficient nitrogen (N) management is one of the primary objectives of agronomic research as N is expensive and a major environmental pollutant. Soil microbes regulate N cycling and soil respiration (SR) measures soil microbial activity. The Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH) soil respiration protocol is a rapid test, and a study was designed to approve this test as a potential tool for corn (Zea mays L.) N management. Five locations were selected around South Dakota (SD) where corn received 0, 45, 90, and 180 kg N ha−1 during summer of 2019. Soil samples were collected before planting and at the V6 corn growth stage to measure SR. We found that N fertilization increased SR and the highest SR was recorded at Ipswich (1.94 mg CO2 g−1) while SR was lowest at Bushnell (1.45 mg CO2 g−1). Higher SR was recorded at the sites where no-till farming was practiced, and soil had higher initial nitrate and organic matter content. SR was weakly correlated with corn grain yield, which indicated a potential area for future research. We concluded that split N application or an additional N application at a later growth stage might boost corn productivity in soil with higher microbial activity.
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