Abstract
Water-holding capacity, evaporation rate from mulch slurries, and the effect of mulches on soil water loss was determined for peat, coarse paper-fiber, fine paper-fiber, and 2 commercial mulches. Evaporation rate decreased when a mulch exhibited a low water-holding capacity, long fibers, and was applied dry rather than in a slurry. A commercial mulch consisting of straw and hay fibers, cotton, and wastepaper had the lowest water-holding capacity, longest fibers, and the greatest evaporation control.