Abstract
PurposeIran is located on the desertification strip where it has faced water shortage and poor quality soils. So it is necessary to improve the soil structure and increase irrigation efficiency. In this context, the use of industrial wastes can increase soil’s organic matter and improve its structure, also amend environmental problems related to disposal of industrial wastes. The objective of this study was to survey the effect of crumb rubber (CR) application as soil amendment on soil water retention curve indices, soil aggregate stability and soil micronutrients.MethodsIn this study, different amounts of CR (0, 0.12, 0.24, 0.36 and 0.48 g) were added to every kg of the two different soil textures (loamy sand and silty clay). Pots were kept at FC moisture conditions for 6 months. At the end of incubation time, the different soil micronutrient availability, soil structural stability and soil hydraulic properties were measured.ResultsThe results showed that application of CR as soil amendment had significant effects (p < 0.001) on increasing soil organic matter content and soil micronutrient availability including Zn and Fe. Adding CR particles by reducing the aggregate fractal dimension, soil penetration resistance and bulk density, improves soil structure in both types of soil. The results also demonstrated that the use of CR particles can improve water holding capacity in sandy soil and increased plant available water content and air capacity in clay soil (p < 0.001).ConclusionsAccording to our results adding CR particles can be considered as a low-cost solution in order to improve the hydro-physical and chemical properties of soils in these areas.
Highlights
IntroductionSoils in arid and semi-arid regions are often characterized by low clay and organic matter contents which results in low water holding capacity and inherently low fertility (Abdelfattah 2013)
Soil properties are the crucial factors for crop production (Dotaniya et al 2016)
The results showed that application of crumb rubber (CR) as soil amendment had significant effects (p \ 0.001) on increasing soil organic matter content and soil micronutrient availability including Zn and Fe
Summary
Soils in arid and semi-arid regions are often characterized by low clay and organic matter contents which results in low water holding capacity and inherently low fertility (Abdelfattah 2013). In order to improve soil structure and to increase under cultivation areas in arid and semi-arid regions, there are various management methods such as adding soil amendments, mulches and conservation tillage (Roper et al 2013; Zhao et al 2011; Bhatt et al 2016). Saline and sodic soils in arid and semi-arid areas cause unfavourable soil physical and chemical properties, which would impose restrictions on plant growth (Jalali et al 2017). The applications of appropriate soil amendments result in improving soil properties and reduced soil salinity and other stresses (Courtney and Harrington 2012; Bhattacharjya et al 2016).
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