Effects of Bentonite and Nano-Bentonite on the Growth and Yield of Wheat in Sandy Soil under Greenhouse Conditions

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 soil science department-University of Tehran

3 Department of soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj

4 . Institute of Earth System Sciences, Section Soil Science, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany.

Abstract

Sandy soils, commonly found in arid and semi-arid regions, offer poor growing conditions for crops like wheat owing to their inherently low ability to retain moisture and nutrients. Amending these soils with stable and eco-friendly conditioners is therefore essential to enhance their productivity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of bentonite and nanobentonite application, including 30 tonnes of bentonite with 0.75 tonnes of nanobentonite (B30NB0.75), 30 tonnes of bentonite with 2.5 tonnes of nanobentonite (B30NB2.5), and 60 tonnes of bentonite (B60), as well as positive and negative controls, on the physical properties of sandy soil and the physiological parameters of Triticum aestivum L. (Sirvan cultivar) under greenhouse conditions. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized block design with three replications, and the results were analyzed using cluster analysis. The findings showed that the applications of bentonite and nanobentonite in sandy soil increased soil saturation water content (47%), decreased bulk density (15%), and improved soil aggregate stability (260%). The improvement of soil physical properties following bentonite and nanobentonite applications led to increased physiological parameters of wheat, including biomass weight, grain weight, grain number, spike length, and plant height. Cluster analysis indicated that the physiological parameters measured in wheat under the B30NB2.5 treatments were closely related to those observed in the positive control, while the B60 treatment exhibited a similar effect to the negative control. These results highlight the key role of nanobentonite in improving wheat yield in sandy soil. The mechanism of nanobentonite effectiveness is attributed to its ability to increase cation exchange capacity, enhance soil structure, improve water and nutrient retention, and reduce nutrient leaching. Overall, the combined application of bentonite and nanobentonite, particularly at the B30NB2.5 level, can be recommended as an effective and eco-friendly approach to improving the fertility of sandy soils and increasing wheat production in arid and semi-arid regions.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Objectives

Wheat plays a crucial role worldwide, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, where it serves as a strategic crop essential for ensuring food security. This importance becomes even more pronounced in areas affected by water scarcity and infertile soils, such as sandy soils. Due to their high permeability and low capacity to retain water and nutrients, sandy soils provide unfavorable conditions for the cultivation of wheat and other crops. These challenges result in reduced productivity and limitations to sustainable crop production. Therefore, improving the quality of sandy soils and increasing their capacity to retain water and nutrients through effective soil techniques is essential. One of the promising strategies for improving the physical and chemical properties of sandy soils is the use of mineral-based amendments such as bentonite and nano-bentonite. Owing to their high cation exchange capacity (CEC) and strong ability to absorb and retain water and nutrients, these mineral substances can significantly improve soil structure, increase soil fertility, and improve agricultural crop yield. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different rates of bentonite and nano-bentonite as soil amendments on improving the physical and chemical properties of sandy soils and increasing wheat growth and its biological yield.

 Materials and Methods

This study was conducted under greenhouse conditions using a completely randomized block design with three replications. The experimental treatments included 30 tonnes of bentonite combined with 0.75 tonnes of nano-bentonite per hectare (B30NB0.75), 30 tonnes of bentonite combined with 2.5 tonnes of nano-bentonite per hectare (B30NB2.5), and 60 tonnes of bentonite per hectare (B60). In addition, positive (C+) and negative (C-) control treatments were included for comparison. The positive control soil was collected from a high-yielding Inceptisol with a loamy texture, whereas the negative control soil was taken from sandy soil with low fertility. The wheat cultivar used in this study was Sirvan. Wheat seeds were first germinated in seed trays and then transplanted into pots pre-filled with C- soil. Before transplanting, the soil treatments were added to the pots. To evaluate the physical properties of the soil, samples were collected before transplanting and at the end of the incubation period to determine saturation water content, bulk density, and aggregate stability. In addition, some physiological parameters include the number of shrubs, biomass weight, harvest index, grain weight, plant height, number of nodes, flag leaf length, spike length, rootlets length, single shrub weight, total grain weight, and thousand-grain weight. The experimental data were statistically analyzed using Minitab 16 software through analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey's test for mean comparison. Cluster analysis was also performed to identify natural patterns among the treatments. Ultimately, the treatment exhibiting the best yield with values comparable to the positive control was selected as the most effective sandy soil amendment.

Results

The results clearly showed the positive effects of the bentonite and nano-bentonite on both physical properties and physiological wheat parameters. The addition of bentonite and nano-bentonite significantly increased saturated moisture content, reduced bulk density, and enhanced aggregate stability. Among the treatments, B30NB2.5 showed the highest effect, increasing soil saturated moisture content and aggregate stability by 47% and 260% compared with C- soil, respectively, while bulk density decreased by 15%. The improvement of soil physical properties through the simultaneous application of bentonite and nano-bentonite led to enhanced physiological parameters of wheat, including biomass weight, grain weight, number of grains, spike length, and plant height. Cluster analysis shows that physiological parameters measured after the application of B30NB2.5 were comparable to those observed in the C+ soil. In contrast, the soil physical properties and wheat physiological parameters measured after the application of B60 were comparable to those of the C-soil. Therefore, the synergistic effect of bentonite and nano-bentonite in improving soil physical quality and promoting wheat growth was greater than the effect of bentonite alone.

Conclusion 

The findings of this study indicate that the combined application of bentonite and nano-bentonite, particularly at the B30NB2.5 rate, can serve as a sustainable and eco-friendly soil amendment to enhance the biological yield of crops such as wheat in low-productive sandy soils of arid and semi-arid regions. To generalize these results to field conditions, however, further field-scale studies are required to evaluate the long-term stability of bentonite and nano-bentonite effects in soil, assess their economic feasibility, and investigate the behavior of nanoparticles within the soil environment.

 

Author Contributions

Conceptualization; Alireza Raheb and Ahmad Heidari; methodology, Alireza Raheb, Ahmad Heidari, Mostafa Abdollahpour and Khodabakhsh Goodarzvand Chegini; validation, Alireza Raheb and Ahmad Heidari ; formal analysis, Hadis Khosravian Chatroodi; investigation, Hadis Khosravian Chatroodi; writing-original draft preparation, Hadis Khosravian Chatroodi; writing-Alireza Raheb, Ahmad Heidari, Mostafa Abdollahpour; visualization, Hadis Khosravian Chatroodi; supervision, Alireza Raheb and Ahmad Heidari; project administration, Alireza Raheb; funding acquisition, Alireza Raheb and Ahmad Heidari. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.” All authors contributed equally to the conceptualization of the article and writing of the original and subsequent drafts.

Data Availability Statement

Data available on request from the authors.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Soil Science Department of University of Tehran for providing equipments and Facilities, and Dr. Aida Bakhshi Khorramdareh for her participants of the present study.

Ethical considerations

The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 56, Issue 12
March 2026
Pages 3254-3237

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