Springtime evaporation from bare and stubble-covered soil

Differences in cumulative evaporation from a bare soil and a stubble-covered surface were related to precipitation frequency and amount. For relatively infrequent and small precipitation events there was little or no difference in cumulative evaporation. However, larger and more frequent precipitation events resulted in less cumulative evaporation from soil protected by stubble. Simple statistical models using wind, air temperature, and solar radiation explained 63% and 69% of the variation in evaporation from the stubble-covered and bare soil surfaces, respectively, the day after precipitation events. Wind was the most significant factor. Most evaporative loss was from the 1-cm layer during the day after precipitation, with a steady evaporative rate of about 0.05 cm/day occurring 2 to 3 days later.