The effect of amendments on the physical and chemical properties of soil in salt-land of Nazarabad, Alborz Province

Abstract

Rangelands are very diverse, and they spread from low vegetation desert areas to those with more rainfall and more cover In saline and desert areas, there are many restrictions on vegetation establishment, hence the use of amendments. The study area is located south of Nazarabad city in Alborz province, Iran. In this study, different amendments, such as mineral biochar, arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF), and acrylic resin polymer (ARP) were utilized at the base of <em>Nitraria schoberi</em> seedlings. Each amendment was used at four levels. A total of 13 treatments (each treatment with 10 replicates) were evaluated. Five soil samples were taken from each treatment to determine the physical and chemical properties of soil (pH, EC, C, N, P, K, C/N, bulk density, particle density, pores, moisture, soil texture) for testing. The results showed that on average, more than 60% of the soil texture was clay. Furthermore, the used amendments had different effects on the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Biochar increased the carbon and nitrogen content of the soil at all levels. Moreover, AMF increased soil nitrogen and carbon, and ARP reduced soil bulk density and increased soil porosity, moisture, nitrogen, and carbon content. With increasing the level of biochar and ARP, negative effects were observed, and these amendments increased soil acidity and salinity in the study area; however, AMF reduced the soil salinity in the study area.