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Apparent Thermal Conductivity Of Mulch Materials Exposed To Forced Convection, Simon Van Donk, Ernest W. Tollner

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Soil temperature controls plant growth and many related processes in the soil. A mulch or crop residue covering the soil may alter soil temperatures significantly. Available simulation models often lack experimental data for the mulch thermal conductivity and its dependence on air velocity. The apparent thermal conductivity (k) of wheat straw, pine straw, tire chips, dry sandy soil, and the thermal resistance of Bermudagrass sods were measured using a guarded hot plate at air velocities between 0 and 5 m/s. For all mulch materials, k ranged between 0.1 and 0.6 W m^–1 °C^–1, and increased …