Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID IA_FY25_Rockson

Effect of suppression and termination timing on evapotranspiration and soil moisture from candidate perennial and annual groundcovers

Institute: Iowa
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $27,738 Total Non-Federal Funds: $28,766

Principal Investigators: Philip Rockson

Project Summary: As drought conditions become more frequent in the Midwest, farmers need strategies to conserve soil moisture. This study examines how different types of soil cover affect water availability in the field. We're testing Kentucky bluegrass, Radix Hybrid bulbosa?a novel summer-dormant grass, cereal rye, and conventional approaches (bare soil, residue-covered soil, and tilled soil) to see how they influence water retention and use. By placing consistent soil profiles in buckets in an open field setting, we can measure soil moisture and water loss under natural weather conditions with precision. We'll monitor soil moisture continuously and regularly weigh (weekly measurements, with effort to weigh before and after significant [>0.5 inches] rainfall events) the buckets to track change in water amounts. This will provide practical recommendations on which ground covers best conserve soil moisture and how to manage them to decrease water scarcity and maintain productivity as our climate becomes more variable.