Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
2
Department of soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
3
Institute of Earth System Sciences, Section Soil Science, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
4
Public Administration Department, Faculty of Management and Economic, Islamic Azad University Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Sandy soils have low productivity due to a lack of organic matter (OC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and water retention. This study aimed to determine the optimal amounts of humic acid (HA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as soil amendments and their effectiveness in improving some physical and chemical properties of sandy soil. A completely randomized experimental design including 10 treatments including control, HA (1, 2, and 3 gkg-1) in combination with CMC at (1, 2, and 5 gkg-1) in three replications was used. After the incubation period (3 months), soil properties including saturated moisture (SP), bulk density (BD), texture, the electrical conductivity of saturated extract (ECe), pH, OC, and CEC were measured. Variance analysis showed that HA and CMC had a significant effect on CEC (4.58-5.31 cmolckg-1), OC (0.28-0.41%), ECe (0.33-0.56 dSm-1), BD (1.31-1.59 gcm-3), and SP (37.76-43.28 %). Considering the results, statistical results, and clustering of experimental treatments, it was determined that the treatment of 2 gkg-1 humic acid combined with 5 gkg-1carboxymethyl cellulose had the most significant impact on soil improvement, such that organic carbon increased by 153%, cation exchange capacity by 52%, and saturation moisture by 8%, while bulk density decreased by 4%. These findings suggest the application of humic acid and carboxymethyl cellulose as an effective method for improving sandy soils in arid and semi-arid regions.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)