JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

Organic substances produced by cyanobacteria and some polymeric compounds play a role in soil aggregation and increase soil structure stability in sandy soils. Effects of biological soil crusts and some polymeric compounds on some properties of a sandy soil were investigated in this research. Inoculation of three cyanobacterial treatments (Nostoc sp., Phormidium sp. and their combination) and four time intervals on crust formation, organic carbon and calcium carbonate contents, resistance to penetration and MWDD in soils below the crusts were studied in the first experiment. Combination of two cyanobacterial species in 60 days treatment with 2.2 % organic carbon, 0.2 Mpa resistance to penetration, and 96.7 % large aggregates was introduced as the superior treatment. Effect of superior cyanobacteria and time treatments on aggregate size distribution was studied in the second part of this experiment. Sixty-day treatment with 96.7 % of large aggregates was the most effective treatment. Structural stability of a sandy soil influenced by four concentration levels (0, 1, 2 and 4%) of anionic polyelectrolyte polymer at the depths of 1, 2 and 3 cm was investigated in the second experiment. Four percent concentration treatment of polymer with 0.6 Mpa resistance to penetration and 90.9 % large aggregates was the most effective one. A significant difference in resistance to penetration among three depth intervals was also observed

A laboratory research program was arranged to study the effect of different factors influencing the stability of fine soils against wind action. For this purpose, a laboratory wind tunnel was stabilized and several soil samples were examined by putting the sample trays inside the wind tunnel for different rates of wind velocities. The tray for soil samples was 20´30 cm² with the depth of 5 cm, and the fine soil samples were chosen with different sizes of particle and porosity. Because the main aim of this research was to investigate the effect of some polymer additives to the soil, many samples were made of the soils improved by different additives in different percentages. Furthermore, the effect of infiltration of the liquid additives was also examined, which could show different infiltration heights as functions of soil type, additive type and the height of pouring. Some of the results were examined by using software. The lab results in this research were compared with some proposed theoretical ones. It was found that as the average diameter of particles increases, erodibility under the same wind velocity decreases, and the applied polymer emulsions decrease the erodibility up to 90% compared to the initial condition. Impacts of dust emission due to the suspended dispersion of fine particles and creeping movements of coarse particles are mitigated as a result of treatment with these emulsions. Variations in erosion of soils at various wind velocities depend on the value of threshold friction velocity with the result that the soil erosion values in case of coarser soils after the increase in velocity would be higher than those of threshold friction velocity. Finally, a relationship is proposed for estimation of soil erosion in terms of wind velocity. The results are consistent with the transport rate relationships proposed by different scholars.

This research investigated the effects of super absorbentpolymers on root characteristics of Avena fatua under two soil textures and three irrigation regimes. The study was arranged according to a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications. Hydrogel compositions included three types of super absorbents (Aquasorb, Boloorab A and Stockosorb) with two levels of 5 and 10 g/kg of soil, plus a control level. The studied traits were shoot height, shoot dry weight, root dry weight, ratio of root/shoot, root length, root perimeter and root volume of Avena fatua. ANOVA showed that the effect of soil texture was significant (p<0.01) for all studied traits. Mean comparison stated that 10g/kg of Aquasorb with 100% irrigation in sandy loam texture and 5g/kg of Stockosorb with 100% irrigation in loamy texture had the most significant and best results, compared with the control treatments. The results revealed that production of dense root network and root aggregation stimulated by super absorbent polymers, increased root contacts with moisture and led to significant increment in root traits like length, perimeter and volume by preparing water. In addition, selecting the type and concentration of super absorbent polymers depends on soil texture, considering the difference between the best results in two soil textures.