Different mulch materials had different effect on
soil conditions: concrete and straw mulch seems more
favorable for conserving soil water; and plastic film is
the best treatment for increasing soil temperature;
concrete mulch decreases the soil surface salinity
level more in comparison to the other two material
mulches. However the straw mulch decreases wheat
grain yield due to low temperature, although it conserve
more soil water content. Straw mulch is not very
fit for winter wheat production in this area. Concrete
mulch has similar effect with plastic film mulch on
promoting winter wheat development and growth. As
a new mulch material, the concrete mulch has some
advantage such as repeated use, without pollution and
low cost, compared to plastic mulch, so we recommend
that it can be used as a complementary material
to plastic film.