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
Given the considerable extent of low-yield desert lands in Iran, which generally have light-textured soils, it is essential to rehabilitate these lands 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. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 10 treatments in three replications, and after the incubation period, some soil properties were measured and were analyzed using Minitab 16 software. 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 B30*NB2.5 was selected as the most suitable treatment for amending sandy soils in studied regions. This treatment effectively contributed to reducing BD, increasing SP, enhancing CEC and OC content, and lowering soil ECe.
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