Investigation of the effectiveness of soil solarization applications in greenhouses and mathematical modeling of temperature distribution of soil profile

Experiments were carried at Çukurova University Faculty of Agriculture Soil Science Department?s greenhouses covered by three different plastic types (normal PE, UV stabilized PE and UV+IR stabilized PE) Department Research area (summer period) between 2008-2009.Soil solarization set the second part of the research and the prime purpose of the implementation is increasing soil heat. Determinations of thermal characteristics are important for soil heat transfer and storage, and solarization efficiency. The solarization efficiency of CO2, basaltic pumice (BT), organic matter OM, OM+CO2, various colored PE (VCPE) were determined. Solarization was applied for one month during summer on 2m X 2m plastic covered plots.Soil water content was observed by TDR. Soil temperature was measured continuously at 15 m intervals at 5, 20 and 30 cm soil depths. Thermal diffusivity (D) was derived from heat equation, by employing soil temperature at heat-amplitude equation. Maximum soil temperature for two years was achieved at 5 cm depth at OM and VC PE applied plots (55.0-55.9 °C). The inner temperatures of greenhouses were measured at close levels. Greenhouse cover material was not efficient in summer period. The general trend of cumulative average temperatures was determined as (OM) > (VCPE) > (BT). As part of the modeling of soil temperature at all depths studied, measured and calculated temperatures in the model were compatible with each other