Properties Of Sandy Loam Soil Research Articles

Changes in Physico-Chemical Properties of a Sandy Loam Soil Depending on the Particle Size of Hazelnut Shell-Derived Biochar

This study evaluated the effects of hazelnut shell-derived biochar particle sizes on the soil’s physical and chemical properties, and on various nutrient contents present in the sandy loamy soils. For this purpose, an incubation experiment in the plastic high tunnel has been performed under sixteen treatments (control-only soil), and at four incubation times (30, 60, 90, and 120 d), by using three different biochar sizes (≤ 1, 1 - 2, and 2 - 4 mm). The addition of 1 - 2 and 2 - 4 mm biochar during the incubation time decreased the bulk density in the soil by 26%. The particle size ≤ 1 mm on the other hand, increased the available water content, percentage of aeration porosity, and macropore, but decreased the micropore percentage in the soil. The soil’s pH has been the highest at 1 - 2 mm, 120 d sample, organic matter content at ≤ 1 mm, 120 d sample, and total nitrogen at ≤ 1 mm, 60 d sample. Regarding the available phosphorus and extractable potassium contents, the most effective particle size has been ≤ 1 mm and the incubation period has been 90 d for P and 60 d for K. The reduction in biochar particle size decreased the soil’s micro element content. The results showed that among all applications ≤ 1 mm biochar particle size was the most effective size on many physico-chemical properties of sandy loam soils. Also, a potential study related to the subject of this research focusing on the effects of different textures of particle sizes derived from hazelnut shell biochars.

Effects of biochar particle size, biochar application rate, and moisture content on thermal properties of an unsaturated sandy loam soil

Although biochar is considered as a potential soil amendment, the effect of its rates and particle sizes on soil properties such as soil thermal properties, especially in a light-textured soil has not been widely discussed. Due to the importance of soil thermal properties in many engineering, climatological and agricultural applications, this study aims to investigate and model the effects of biochar particle size, biochar rate, and soil moisture content on the thermal properties of a sandy loam soil through column experiments. The experiments were conducted using three biochar application rates (0 (as control), 1%, and 5% w/w), three biochar particle diameters (<0.15, 0.15–1, and 1–2 mm), and three water saturation (Sw) levels (0.07, 0.2, and 0.78) in three replicates. Given the experimental data, soil thermal properties were modeled using the Campbell, Zhao et al., and de Vries models. According to the results, a higher biochar application rate (i.e. 5%) significantly (P < 0.05) altered soil physical and chemical properties, i.e. bulk density, porosity, EC and pH, and soil thermal properties. Biochar particle sizes had a remarkable effect on soil thermal properties. Adding 5% biochar with particle sizes of < 0.15, 0.15–1 and 1–2 mm decreased soil thermal conductivity to 21%, 26%, and 32% at Sw= 0.07, respectively indicating a lower reduction of thermal conductivity when biochar with a smaller particle size (<0.15 mm) is applied. Applying 5% biochar of the smallest size decreased soil thermal conductivity and diffusivity, and heat capacity by 21%, 17%, and 9%, respectively, and increased thermal resistivity by 27% at Sw= 0.07. The effect of soil moisture on thermal properties (especially thermal conductivity and resistivity) was more robust than biochar amendment. Experimental modeling showed a linear relationship between soil moisture and thermal conductivity, diffusivity and heat capacity, and a power law relationship between soil moisture and thermal resistivity. Mathematical modeling showed the Campbell, de Vries, and Campbell/de Vries models perform the best in estimating thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and thermal diffusivity, respectively. The findings of this research could be used for controlling and predicting soil temperature, improving irrigating scheduling, and optimizing the quantity of biochar amendment required in agricultural fields.

Impact of Land Use Change and Afforestation on Soil Properties in a Mediterranean Mountain Area of Central Spain

Afforestation can improve hydrological processes, such as infiltration, in basins and, therefore, reduce the impact on human populations of floods, soil erosion, landslides, droughts, and climate variation. The aim of this work was to analyze how afforestation and other changes in land use influence infiltrability and the evolution of soils. Infiltration rates, soil water repellency, and physical and chemical properties of sandy loam soils were measured in four types of land: native holm oak forest, afforested 20-year-old pine forest, shrubs, and grasslands. Non-forest covers are the result of the degradation of native oak forests for centuries, while the pine afforestation in this study took place on a perennial wet mountain pasture (cervunalito). Our results show that soil infiltration rates are much higher in pine afforestation areas (857.67 mm·h−1) than in holm oak forest (660.67 mm·h−1), grasslands (280.00 mm·h−1), or shrubs (271.67 mm·h−1). No statistically significant differences in fertility, organic matter content, bulk density, or effective porosity were found between afforestation areas and other types of cover; however, pine afforestation improved the drainage of the soil, as its infiltration rate was higher than that of the native holm oak forest.

Effect of mineral and edible vegetable oils on physico-chemical and hydrological properties of sandy loam soils in parts of Nigerian basement complex

Effect of mineral and edible vegetable oils on physico-chemical and hydrological properties of sandy loam soils in parts of Nigerian basement complex

The effects of organic materials obtained from different sources on some properties of sandy loam soil

Organik materyaller toprakların sürdürülebilir olmasında önemli yer tutmaktadır. Toprağa organik madde kaynağı olarak ilaveedilen birçok materyal, karbonun toprakta tutulması ve depolanması gibi doğrudan olumlu etkisinin yanında toprağın fiziksel,kimyasal ve biyolojik özelliklerini iyileştirici etkiye sahiptir. Organik toprak düzenleyici olarak en çok tercih edilen materyallerdenbiri olan leonardit; organik maddelerin kömürleşme süreçlerinden etkilenmeyerek oksitlenmesiyle oluşan ve humik asitçe zengindoğal bir materyaldir. Humik asitçe zengin olması ve yüksek karbon içeriği, toprak ıslahı ve bitkisel üretim açısından önemli bir yertutmaktadır. Bu çalışma, Kayseri-Develi (DL) ve Çanakkale-Yenice (YL) olmak üzere iki farklı bölgeden temin edilen leonarditinkumlu tın (SL) bünyeye sahip toprağın bazı özeliklerine kısa süreli etkilerini tespit etmek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Bu amaçla leonarditçeşitleri beş farklı dozda (%4, %8, %12, %16, %20) kumlu tın (SL) bünyeye sahip toprak ile karıştırılarak üç ay inkübe edilmiştir.İnkübasyon süresi sonunda tüm uygulamalar için toprağın organik maddesi (OM), toprak reaksiyonu (pH), elektriksel iletkenliği(EC), kireç içeriği (CaCO3), kuru hacim ağırlığı (dB), hidrolik iletkenliği (Ks), agregat stabilitesi (AS) ve boşluk hacmi (P) gibiözellikleri belirlenerek leonarditlerin etkisi araştırılmıştır. Uygulanan dozlara bakılmaksızın her iki leonardit uygulamasıylakontrole göre EC (%236), OM (%213), AS (%50), P (%11) artarken, dB (%10) azalmıştır (p≤0.05). Buna rağmen diğerparametrelerdeki değişimler (pH, CaCO3, Ks) istatistiksel olarak önemsiz bulunmuştur (p≥0.05). Genel olarak leonardit çeşidininincelenen parametreler üzerine etkisinin önemsiz (p≥0.05) olduğu tespit edilmiştir.

Influence of urban sewage sludge amendment on agricultural soil parameters

Using sewage sludge for agricultural soil conditioning may be a potential alternative for its proper disposal and enhancing soil fertility by virtue of its high content of organic matter and several important plant nutrients. But the presence of toxic heavy metals and pathogens limits its use. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of different doses of sewage sludge (5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 t ha−1) on physico-chemical and biological properties of sandy loam soil. It was observed that different soil parameters significantly changed according to the addition of different sewage sludge doses as compared to untreated control soil. Total organic carbon (TOC) and nitrogen (N) consistently improved up to the application of 50 t ha−1 sewage sludge. Consequently, it led to a significant and rapid increase in soil microbial properties like microbial biomass, basal respiration and enzyme activities (alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase and urease) during the initial days of incubation, which gradually decreased up to 90 days. Sewage sludge also increased the Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetic Acid (DTPA) extractable available form of heavy metals (Ni, Cr, Pb, Cu and Cd). However, all values of available forms of heavy metals were below the threshold values for contaminated soil.

Conversion of chicken feather waste via hydrothermal carbonization: process optimization and the effect of hydrochar on seed germination of Acacia auriculiformis

Using statistical response surface methodology this paper primarily investigates the role of process parameters at different levels (temperature, contact time, and rotation speed) and their influence on yield percentage during the production of chicken feather hydrochar (CFH) as soil amendment. Later, the produced char samples were evaluated before and after washing to assess the phytotoxic effect of seed germination and growth on Acacia auriculiformis through germination index% (GI). The optimized conditions for temperature, contact time, and rotation speed of hydrochar production were 150 °C, 1 h and 105.65 rpm, respectively. The hydrochar yield percentage at optimized conditions was 51.93%. The seed germination test indicated strong phytotoxicity for soil with untreated char, fresh hydrochar extract (FHE) with high doses, and 4 months old hydrochar extract (OHE) but the toxic effect was lower for washed hydrochar extract (WHE). It showed a higher germination rate and growth performance for washed hydrochar extract among all the doses. This study has confirmed the applicability of chicken feather (CF) hydrochar for improving the physical properties of sandy loam soil. Further research into pre-treatment and assessment of hydrochar before field application is required.

Effects of Tractorization and Organic Manure on Physical Properties of Sandy Loam Soil in Abeokuta, Nigeria

Soil compaction has effect on soil physical properties which could affect crop growth and yield. This study was conducted to determine the influence of incorporating organic materials and load application (tractorization) on the physical properties of sandy loamy soil in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Organic materials were cow dung, poultry and swine manure. Application rates of organic manures were 0 (control), 5 and 10 tonnes per hectare. Forty-five plots measuring 5 by 3 m were established in a complete randomized block experimental design with three replications making a total of 135 plots. Load application was done using an MF 435 tractor coupled with a 20-disc harrow at 0 (control), 5, 10, 15 and 20 passes. Penetration resistance, bulk density, gravimetric moisture content andporosity were determined using standard procedures. Penetrometer resistance at these passes were 392.2, 293.3, 285.0, 302.0 and 224.9 kPa respectively with significant differences between treatments (P≤0.05). Mean bulk density for the passes were 1.21, 1.26, 1.31, 1.27 and 1.29 g/cm3 respectively and bulk density increased with tractor passes. The effect of tractor passes, and manure incorporation rate did not have any significant effect on gravimetric moisture content. Poultry manure increased bulk density and penetrometer resistance on plots than swine manure and cow dung hence poultry manure at 10 t/ha can be incorporated on a sandy loam soil to enhance soil fertility and sustainability.&#x0D; Keywords: Tractorization, organic manure, sandy loam, penetration resistance, bulk density

Effect of a tillage system on the chemical properties of sandy loam soils

Effect of a tillage system on the chemical properties of sandy loam soils

Improving aggregate stability and hydraulic properties of Sandy loam soil by applying polyacrylamide polymer

Improving soil properties, especially in arid and semiarid regions, is an urgent need for sustainable food production. This study aims to evaluate the effect of applying two types of anionic polyacrylamide polymers (PAMs) with different molecular weights on: (1) soil aggregate stability, (2) infiltration rate and (3) saturated hydraulic conductivity of sandy loam soil and introduce a novel modelling approach to predict the effect of PAM addition on the mentioned soil properties. Polymers were applied at five different concentrations; 0, 100, 250, 500 and 1000 mg L−1. Direct positive relations between the concentrations of PAM (low and high molecular weight) and saturated hydraulic conductivity and infiltration rate were observed. Nevertheless, the relations were more pronounced in case of low molecular weight PAM. The difference between the effect of the two PAMs on infiltration rate was statistically significant at α = 0.05. On the other hand, the differences were not significant except for the 1000 mg L−1 concentration in case of saturated hydraulic conductivity. Meanwhile, concentration has an effect on increasing soil aggregate stability only in case of low molecular weight PAM. At the concentration 1000 mg L-1 of low molecular weight PAM, aggregate stability and saturated hydraulic conductivity increased 3-fold while infiltration rate increased by more than 7-fold compared to the control. It is hypothesized that the change in the mentioned properties is correlated to the amount of PAM adsorbed by the soil and hence they can be used as surrogate parameters of adsorption. Modified versions of the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations were used to model the change in aggregate stability and saturated hydraulic conductivity in response to the PAM concentration. The pseudo-first and second kinetics models were applied to predict the change in infiltration rate. The models showed excellent fit to the experimental data, thus supporting our hypothesis. The results suggest that low molecular weight PAM is more efficient in improving the physical properties of sandy loam soil. The modelling approach presented in this work may be extended to other types of soil. Other isotherm models may be used to predict the response of soil to PAM concentration where the Langmuir or Freundlich isotherms do not apply. This modelling approach provides land managers with a decision support tool to optimize PAM application.

Cogon grass biochar amendment and Panicum coloratum planting improve selected properties of sandy soil under humid lowland tropical climatic conditions

Biochar amendment improves the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of different soil types under different climatic and environmental conditions. In this study, effects of biochar or live pasture plants existing alone or co-existing on selected soil properties of sandy loam soil under humid lowland tropical climatic conditions were investigated. The changes measured in the amended soil, with or without plants, were compared to the unamended and unplanted soils. Biochar amendment with or without pasture improved moisture retention, lowered bulk density, increased pH and kept the electrical conductivity within ranges conducive for pasture growth. Generally, contents of all the nutrients increased following biochar amendment, however pasture establishment without amendment resulted in depletion of available potassium and magnesium. Under all treatment conditions, soil organic carbon and soil organic matter were significantly depleted. Cogon grass is invasive under all land use systems and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions through slash-and-burn. Using biomass from the grass instead of burning would mitigate CO2 emissions from the tropics.

Influence of Spent Engine Oil Pollution and Organic Amendment on Soil Physicochemical Properties, Microbial Population and Growth of Capsicum annuum (L.)

This study investigated the impacts of spent engine oil on the physicochemical properties of soil, soil's microbial population and growth of Capsicum annuum. It covered assessment of different levels of contamination (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80%) in soil; which represents the degree of oil spillage concentration on the growth performance of C. annuum investigated. Percentage germination, seedling height, number of leaves and number of branches decreased as the concentrations of the spent engine oil in soil samples increased and affected soil physicochemical properties. The screening experiment conducted showed that poultry manure improved the physicochemical properties of sandy loam soils contaminated engine oil. The effects of poultry manure as an organic amendment was assessed using pepper (C. annuum) as test crop. All amendment made significant increase in soil organic carbon and calcium content over the polluted soils. Soil acidity increased, soil exchangeable ions decreased. N, P and K were altered in the polluted soils as compared to the controls. There were increased bacterial counts (2.21 – 2.85) and a decrease in fungi population (0.48 - 0.59) in the spent engine oil-contaminated soils compared with the control. The oil reduced germination percentage, depressed growth, reduction in leaf number and plant height of the C. annuum. Therefore the spent engine oil clearly had detrimental effects on soil's physicochemical and biological properties. The oil contributed largely to the extreme acidic nature of the polluted soils. However, maximum increase in plant height, germination percentage, number of leaves and branches were recorded with amendment of the polluted soils with poultry manure. Results show the considerable potential of remediation protocols with poultry manure as a remediating agent for oil spill remediation in the soil samples.

Influence of some Organic Manure and NPK 15:15:15 on Selected Physical Properties of Sandy Loam Soil in Mokwa Niger State Nigeria

The result of long time farming and poor soil management and conservation practices at Niger state college of Agriculture Mokwa Commercial farm which is the study area has led to serious soil degradation like nutrient depletion and soil erosion. There is the need for local content research and innovation to ameliorate the problem. This research work described the effect of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer (poultry manure, Cow dung and NPK fertilizer) on some soil physical properties i.e. the infiltration, porosity, bulk density and erodibility on a sandy loam soil of Mokwa North Central Nigeria. Four treatments of poultry, cow dung manure, NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer and non – application were applied in RCBD with 25t/ha of poultry manure and cow dung while NPK 15:15:15 was 150kg/ha and non- application as control replicated three times. Soil physical properties were measured and analyses were done to ascertain the soil aggregates. Ring infiltrometers were constructed and used to test the infiltration rate of the soil at each plot before soil treatments. Measurements were taken at time intervals for all the plots. The plots were then treated with manure and NPK and left for two weeks to decompose, after which infiltration measurements were taken again. Minitab 17 and Excel were used for the analysis. The cow Dung manure shows highest infiltration rate as compared to other treatments. The experiment shows that Cow Dung and poultry manure can be used to correct infiltration and soil physical anomalies especially when soil is compacted or clayey.

Composts Containing Natural and Mg‐Modified Zeolite: The Effect on Nitrate Leaching, Drainage Water, and Yield

The growing demand for environmental protection and sustainable food production requires the efficient use of organic and slow‐release fertilizers in agriculture. In this study, co‐composting of municipal solid waste (MSW) + three different ratios of natural and Mg‐modified zeolites (5, 10, and 15% on a wet weight basis) is conducted to improve the MSW compost quality. The effects of soil amendment with MSW compost containing natural zeolite (CNZ) and Mg‐modified zeolite (CMZ) on the corn yield, moisture content, leaching volumes, and NO3‐N concentrations are investigated. Compared to the control (zeolite‐free compost), the CNZ15 and CMZ15 treatments show 39.9 and 49.3% reduction in electrical conductivity and an increase of 64.5 and 110% in NH4‐N retention, respectively. By using the composts containing zeolite, the moisture content in the surface layer of soil is increased up to 12.6%. Nitrogen uptake and water use efficiency in the CNZ treatment are enhanced by 34.6 and 40.0%, respectively. The increase of the nitrogen uptake and water use efficiency of the CMZ treatment is 54.5 and 55.6%, respectively. Compared to the control, the amount of total NO3‐N leached from CNZ and CMZ treatments is decreased by 21.0 and 28.9%, respectively. The use of the MSW compost modified with Mg‐zeolite is, therefore, an environmentally friendly solution to prevent surface and groundwater pollution. The modified compost could be also used for the improvement of the physicochemical properties of sandy loam soils.

English

English

Organic Nitrogen Source Addition for Improving the Physicochemical Properties of Sandy Loam Soil and Maize Performance

ABSTRACTPoor quality of sandy loam soils ​is the main reason for low crop yield. Improvement of physicochemical properties of these soils is very challenging. Addition of organic sources may improve the soil properties. Therefore, this study investigated the adequacy of poultry-manure-compost (PMC) and pressmud-compost (PrMC) at 0 (control), 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 t ha−1 for improving the physicochemical properties of sandy loam soil and maize performance. An increasing trend in most soil and crop traits was seen with increasing compost levels. For 10 t PMC ha−1, soil inorganic-N (512%), organic-carbon (78%), and water-holding capacity (65.36%) improved maximum. This resulted in the maximum mean crop growth rate (43.85%), stover yield (94%), grain protein (21%), and nitrogen use efficiency (30.6 kg kg−1). Contrarily, grain oil (−7%) was lowest at 10 t PMC ha−1. Consequently, 10 t PMC ha−1 could be much effective to improve the physicochemical properties of sandy loam soils and maize performance.

Effect of Corn Residue Biochar on the Hydraulic Properties of Sandy Loam Soil

Biochar has an ability to alter the biological, chemical, and physical properties of soil due to its physicochemical properties such as surface area, porosity, nutrient retention ability, available nutrient contents, aromaticity, etc. The present study was designed to evaluate the impact of physical properties and application rate of biochar on the hydraulic properties of a sandy loam soil in the short term. Biochar was produced at 500 °C from dried corn residue (BC500). The BC500 was incorporated at the rates of 0, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10% (w·w−1) into the sandy loam soil and filled up to a height of 4 cm, in cores having 5 cm diameter and height. Each treatment was performed in triplicate and equilibrated for 30 days. Then saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), water holding capacity (WHC), and bulk density were determined in each sample after four days of saturation at room temperature in a water bath. The BC500 particle size distribution, pores, and surface functional groups were assessed. The Ksat exhibited a highly significant exponential reduction from 0% to 7.5% of BC500 application and approached an asymptote at 10% BC500. Bulk density showed a significant negative correlation to biochar application rate. The WHC and BC500 application rate illustrated a strong positive relationship. Biochar surface was free from hydrophobic functional groups. The addition of BC500 has a positive influence on soil hydraulic properties, primarily due to the increased soil porosity. The BC500 is composed of a microporous structure and hydrophilic surface that retain water in sandy textured soils. The application of BC500 would be a wise investment to maximize the water use efficiency in soils for agricultural production.

Effects of conocarpus biochar on hydraulic properties of calcareous sandy soil: influence of particle size and application depth

ABSTRACTA laboratory column experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of 400°C biochar at application rate of 15 g kg−1 (21.9 t ha−1) with different particle sizes (<0.5 mm (S1), 0.5–1 mm (S2) and 1–2 mm (S3)) and application depths (0–2 cm depth (D0), 4–6 cm depth (D5) and 8–10 cm depth (D10)) on hydro-physical properties of sandy loam soil. The results indicated that applying biochar decreased the waterfront and saturated hydraulic conductivity of sandy loam soil. The cumulative evaporation was the highest and amounted to 40.9 mm in the non-treated soil, but it recorded the lowest amount of 32.2–35.5 mm in the biochar-treated soil. Applying biochar caused significant increases in the amount of conserved and retained water with the highest amount of water conserved in soil treated with S2 biochar at D5. Moreover, the cumulative water infiltration through the soil was significantly reduced by S1 and S2 biochars at D0. The values of saturated hydraulic conductivity for biochar treatments were significantly lower than those for the control, with the lowest values for S1 at D0 and D5. These results suggest positive improvement for the hydro-properties of coarse-textured soils following biochar addition, especially with finer particles of biochar.

Effect of Distillery Effluent, Biomethanated Spent Wash, on Microbial Activity Parameters in Soil Under Rice–Wheat Cropping System

The study reports the effect of biomethanated spent wash on chemical and microbial properties of sandy loam soil. A field experiment was conducted to examine the effect of spent wash on biological soil health under rice–wheat cropping system. The soil was analysed for enzyme activity along with determination of microbial biomass and microbial quotient. The maximum fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (7.09 μg fluorescein g−1 soil h−1), acid phosphatase (5.43 μg p-nitrophenol g−1 soil h−1), alkaline phosphatase (4.57 μg p-nitrophenol g−1 soil h−1) and dehydrogenase (49.9 μg TPF g−1 soil h−1) activity was recorded in treatment with 156 m3 ha−1 of spent wash in three splits. A positive correlation was observed between phosphatase activity and availability of phosphorus. The positive correlation between urease activity and available mineral nitrogen (r = 0.960) indicates increased availability of nitrogen to crops with spent wash application. Among the treatments, spent wash application at 156 m3 ha−1 resulted in highest microbial biomass carbon Cmic (279.84 μg g−1). Maximum microbial quotient (Cmic/Corg) (5.3 %) and minimum metabolic quotient (7.8 μg C–CO2 h−1 mg C biomass−1) was recorded during one time application of spent wash at 125 m3 ha−1 at time of transplanting/sowing. Soil enzymes, involved in energy flow and nutrient cycling in soil showed significantly higher activities with increasing concentration of spent wash application to the soil. Moreover the increase in microbial biomass and microbial quotient indicates positive effect of spent wash on biological soil health which is as important as physical and chemical status of soil.

Improvement in the Water Retention Characteristics of Sandy Loam Soil Using a Newly Synthesized Poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic Acid)/AlZnFe2O4 Superabsorbent Hydrogel Nanocomposite Material

The use of some novel and efficient crop nutrient-based superabsorbent hydrogel nanocomposites (SHNCs), is currently becoming increasingly important to improve the crop yield and productivity, due to their water retention properties. In the present study a poly(Acrylamide-co-acrylic acid)/AlZnFe2O4 superabsorbent hydrogel nanocomposite was synthesized and its physical properties characterized using Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), FE-SEM and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. The effects of different levels of SHNC were studied to evaluate the moisture retention properties of sandy loam soil (sand 59%, silt 21%, clay 19%, pH 7.4, EC 1.92 dS/m). The soil amendment with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 w/w% of SHNC enhanced the moisture retention significantly at field capacity compared to the untreated soil. Besides, in a separate experiment, seed germination and seedling growth of wheat was found to be notably improved with the application of SHNC. A delay in wilting of seedlings by 5–8 days was observed for SHNC-amended soil, thereby improving wheat plant growth and establishment.