ABSTRACT:
The arid climate of some zones of the Canary Islands (Spain) requires the use of traditional farming practices for soil and water conservation, including the use of sand mulch. Results from field studies and laboratory experiments showed that soil moisture loss due to evaporation in mulched soils was reduced by 76 percent and the water content was higher (1.6:1) when compared to uncovered soils. The modification produced in the soil moisture regimeudic under mulch and aridic without covering affects the classification of the soils, as Inceptisols in the first case and Aridisols in the second. This research confirmed the effectiveness of the sand mulch as a conservation practice. The results showed that watermelons, melons and sweet potatoes can be grown without irrigation in the mulched soils, but not in soils without cover.
Footnotes
C. C. Jiménez is an adjunct professor of soil science. M. Tejedor is a professor of soil science. C.M. Rodriguez is an adjunct professor of soil science in the Department of Pedology and Geology at the University of La Laguna in Tenerife, Spain. F. Diaz is a doctor in Tenerife, Spain.
- Copyright 2005 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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