The Influence of Surface Conditions on Soil Temperature and Moisture Content

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted at the east of Nile River in El-Menia Government to investigate the effect of soil surface condition (seed-bed preparation and mulching materials) on soil temperature and moisture content. The relation between soil temperature and air temperature was also to estimated. Treatments of seedbed preparation included ridges surface and flat surfaces. The mulching treatments materials included flat surface mulched with cucumbers residues, flat surface mulched with clear plastic sheets and flat surface mulched with black plastic sheets.The results showed that maximum soil temperature values in ridge treatments, at any given depth were higher than that observed in a flat plot without mulching. On the other hand, the minimum soil temperature in ridges was lower than that observed in flat plot ones. Concerning the mulching materials effect, the black plastic sheets gave the highest values of maximum and minimum soil temperature followed by clear plastic sheets and cucumbers straw mulching. Theses differences decreased with depth. The data also showed that soil temperature is mainly a function of surrounded climatological conditions. Whereas, there are a positive and significant correlations between soil temperature and air temperature especially at surface soil depths.