|
|
|
| Effect of soil conditioners on water stability of soil aggregates and its mechanisms in loessal soil |
| Cao Lihua1,2， Liu Heman2， Zhao Shiwei1 |
| 1.State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi; 2.Department of Resources and Environment, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry College, 860000, Linzhi, Tibet：China |
|
|
|
|
Abstract Soil conditioners, which are widely used in preventing soil and water losses, could improve soil physical structure and provide good conditions for plant growth. PAM, water super absorbent polymer，βcyclodextrin and humic acid were used as soil conditioners in this paper. The results showed that all of the four conditioners could promote the formation of >0.25mm waterstable aggregates. Within the test range of 0.05%-0.40%, the improved effect showed PAM>βcyclodextrin >water super absorbent polymer > humic acid, and the fractal dimension of aggregates decreased largely, especially for the PAM. All of the four conditioners could reduce the soil bulk density at the low concentration. From soil particle size distribution, it can be observed that 1mm soil waterstable aggregates, especially >5mm soil waterstable aggregates obviously, which will explain how PAM worked on soil structure. In the four conditioners, PAM played the best role in improving loessal soil structure. This paper discovered the effect and mechanism of soil conditioners on loessal soil, which will provide theoretic basis of using and improving soil conditioners reasonably.
|
|
Received: 15 May 2011
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
