Packing of the soil surface as a way to optimize the hydrothermal regime of the arable layer

Abstract

The research goal was to study changes in the hydrothermal regime of the arable soil layer after packing its surface. Leached chernozem was chosen as an object for the study of the hydrothermal regime. The experimental plots were located in the climatic zone of the arid splitting steppe. The objectives of the study included: to monitor changes in soil moisture when packing its surface and to consider the impact of this agricultural technology on moisture conservation in the arable layer as well as to study the tendency of changes in the temperature regime of the arable soil layer when packing its surface and, based on this, to consider the possibility of using this agricultural technique for thermal soil reclamation. The conducted studies have shown that on the packed surface of the black steam, in contrast to the surface without packing, a noticeable layer of the dried soil is formed, which has a moisture-saving effect on the underlying layers. Reducing the parameters of the pore space of the soil and improving the conductive thermal conductivity when rolling contributes to faster warming of the soil compared to the site without rolling. The revealed features allow us to say that packing as an agricultural technology can be used to preserve moisture in the arable layer, especially in spring, as well as to increase the amount of active temperatures in the arable layer.