Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 PhD Student of Department of Natural Resources Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Agriculture, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
2 Assistant professor, Department of Natural Resources Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Hormozgan, BandarAbbas, Iran.
3 3. Professor, Department of Natural Resources Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Agriculture, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
4 Associate. Professor, Department of Water Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Abstract
Nanotechnology offers a promising approach for improving the physical and hydraulic properties of saline soils. To evaluate this potential, a study was conducted to assess the effects of both organic and inorganic amendments, applied at nano and conventional scales, on saline loamy soil. Soil samples were collected from a depth of 5 to 30 cm, and various treatments were applied, including pomegranate peel biochar and nanobiochar, nanobentonite, zeolite, microsilica, and nanosilica. These treatments were tested using soil columns (35 × 10 cm) under a completely randomized design with three replications. The results indicated that all applied amendments improved soil structural and moisture characteristics. Specifically, they increased the mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, enhanced the water stability index of aggregates, and optimized key moisture parameters such as field capacity, permanent wilting point, and available water content. Among all treatments, nanosilica showed the highest improvement in aggregate stability, increasing it by 35% compared to the control. This treatment also resulted in the lowest bulk density (1.5 g/cm³). The lowest permanent wilting point was observed in the conventional silica treatment, which was significantly different from other treatments at the 5% level. Except for conventional biochar, all other nano and non-nano amendments significantly increased field capacity at the 5% significance level. Similarly, the available water content was significantly improved by these amendments, excluding the conventional biochar treatment. Overall, the findings confirm the effectiveness of soil amendments, particularly nanosilica, in enhancing soil structure, aggregate stability, and hydraulic properties of saline loamy soils.
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