University of Tehran Press Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research 2008-479X 56 1 2025 03 21 Modification of some physical and chemical properties of low productivity sandy soils using bentonite and nano-bentonite Modification of some physical and chemical properties of low productivity sandy soils using bentonite and nano-bentonite 171 186 101494 10.22059/ijswr.2024.383003.669800 FA Hadis Khosravian Chatroodi Department of soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Alireza Raheb Department of soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Ahmad Heidari Department of soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Sara Talaee Khosrowshahi Department of soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Khodabakhsh Goodarzvand Chegini Department of soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran Mostafa Abdollahpour Institute of Earth System Sciences, Section Soil Science, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany. Hamidreza Mokhtari Esfidvajani Public Administration Department, Faculty of Management and Economic, Islamic Azad University Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2024 09 29 Drought and desertification are significant environmental and agricultural challenges in Iran and worldwide, which exacerbated by inefficient water consumption patterns. Given the considerable extent (43 million hectares) of low-yield desert lands in Iran, which generally have light-textured soils, it is essential to rehabilitate these lands and manage their water resources to enhance soil productivity. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to determine the optimal amounts of bentonite and nano-bentonite as natural soil amendments and to evaluate their effectiveness in improving the physical and chemical properties of sandy soil. In this study, each level of bentonite, including rates of 10, 20, and 30 ton ha^-1, was applied in combination with nano-bentonite levels of 0.25, 0.75, and 2.5 ton ha^-1. These experimental treatments were mixed with the soil and incubated for three months at a temperature of 25°C and 80% field capacity. After the incubation period, soil properties, including saturation percentage (SP), bulk density (BD), texture, electrical conductivity of the saturated paste extract (ECe), Ph and cation exchange capacity (CEC), were measured. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 10 treatments in three replications for bentonite and nano-bentonite, and the experimental data were analyzed using Minitab 16 software. Results showed that the treatment with bentonite at 30 ton ha^-1 and nano-bentonite at 2.5 ton ha^-1 had significant positive effects on the measured physicochemical properties of the soil. Analysis of variance revealed that bentonite and nano-bentonite treatments had significant effects on soil CEC, ECe, BD, and SP. Clustering of the results further indicated that the treatments of 30 ton ha^-1 of bentonite plus 0.75 ton ha^-1 of nano-bentonite and 30 ton ha^-1 of bentonite plus 2.5 ton ha^-1 of nano-bentonite had the greatest impact on improving the physical and chemical properties studied. Considering the experimental data, statistical results, and clustering of the treatments, the application of 30 ton ha^-1 of bentonite plus 2.5 ton ha^-1 of nano-bentonite was selected as the most suitable treatment for amending sandy soils in arid and semi-arid regions. This treatment effectively contributed to improving the physical and chemical properties of sandy soil, including reducing BD, increasing SP, enhancing CEC and OC content, and lowering soil ECe. Drought and desertification are significant environmental and agricultural challenges in Iran and worldwide, which exacerbated by inefficient water consumption patterns. Given the considerable extent (43 million hectares) of low-yield desert lands in Iran, which generally have light-textured soils, it is essential to rehabilitate these lands and manage their water resources to enhance soil productivity. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to determine the optimal amounts of bentonite and nano-bentonite as natural soil amendments and to evaluate their effectiveness in improving the physical and chemical properties of sandy soil. In this study, each level of bentonite, including rates of 10, 20, and 30 ton ha^-1, was applied in combination with nano-bentonite levels of 0.25, 0.75, and 2.5 ton ha^-1. These experimental treatments were mixed with the soil and incubated for three months at a temperature of 25°C and 80% field capacity. After the incubation period, soil properties, including saturation percentage (SP), bulk density (BD), texture, electrical conductivity of the saturated paste extract (ECe), Ph and cation exchange capacity (CEC), were measured. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 10 treatments in three replications for bentonite and nano-bentonite, and the experimental data were analyzed using Minitab 16 software. Results showed that the treatment with bentonite at 30 ton ha^-1 and nano-bentonite at 2.5 ton ha^-1 had significant positive effects on the measured physicochemical properties of the soil. Analysis of variance revealed that bentonite and nano-bentonite treatments had significant effects on soil CEC, ECe, BD, and SP. Clustering of the results further indicated that the treatments of 30 ton ha^-1 of bentonite plus 0.75 ton ha^-1 of nano-bentonite and 30 ton ha^-1 of bentonite plus 2.5 ton ha^-1 of nano-bentonite had the greatest impact on improving the physical and chemical properties studied. Considering the experimental data, statistical results, and clustering of the treatments, the application of 30 ton ha^-1 of bentonite plus 2.5 ton ha^-1 of nano-bentonite was selected as the most suitable treatment for amending sandy soils in arid and semi-arid regions. This treatment effectively contributed to improving the physical and chemical properties of sandy soil, including reducing BD, increasing SP, enhancing CEC and OC content, and lowering soil ECe. https://ijswr.ut.ac.ir/article_101494_54527b2f8250730830b525b488fb0e3b.pdf