Physico-Chemical Behavior of Natural Minerals along with Synthetic Soil Conditioners on Nutritional Status and Yield Productivity

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out for two successive seasons (summer season 2017 and winter season 2017/2018) on sandy soil at Ismailia Agric. Res. Station, Ismailia Governorate, Egypt (Latitude, 30˚35' 41.901 N and longitude, 32˚16' 45.834 E) cultivated with sesame and wheat crops respectively, to highlight the effect of applying natural minerals and synthetic soil conditioners alone or in combined on some sandy soil properties and productivity of sesame and wheat crops. Three natural clay minerals (bentonite, vermiculite and zeolite) were added at the rate of 2 ton fed-1. Alone or in combination with three synthetic soil conditioners; hydrogel (HG), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) which were added at the rate of 6 Kg fed-1. Results indicated that application of natural minerals and synthetic soil conditioners alone or in combination increased significantly values of soil moisture characteristics (field capacity (FC), wilting point (WP), available water( AW), total porosity(TP)), soil nutrients availability (N, P and K), yield components and total content of macronutrients (N, P and K) in straw, seeds and grains of sesame and wheat. Bentonite being superior as compared to other clay minerals for increasing (FC), (WP), (AW),(TP), EC values , soil nutrients availability (N, P and K), yield components and total content of macronutrients (N, P and K) in straw, seeds and grains of sesame and wheat followed by vermiculite and zeolite while values of soil reaction decreased slightly as compared to control. As for the effect of synthetic soil conditioners, application of synthetic soil conditioners significantly increased total porosity (TP), field capacity (FC), wilting point (WP), available water (AW), EC values, soil nutrients availability (N, P and K), yield components and total content of macronutrients (N, P and K) in straw, seeds and grains of sesame and wheat while pH values decreased as compared to control especially in presence of hydrogel combined with bentonite. Bentonite combined with hydrogel recorded the highest values of soil moisture characteristics (FC, WP and AW), TP, EC values, soil nutrients availability (N, P and K), yield components and total content of macronutrients (N, P and K) in straw, seeds and grains of sesame and wheat. While the inferior treatment values were zeolite combined with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).