Effect of zeolite on nitrate leaching, aggregate stability and growth of Chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia C. A. Mey.) seedlings

Document Type : Research article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student of Forest Ecology and Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Sari, Iran

2 Corresponding author, Associate Prof, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Sari, Iran

3 Assistant Prof, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Animal Science and Fisheries, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Sari, Iran

4 Prof, Working Group for Climate Change Research, Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Geisenheim University, Geisenheim, Germany

Abstract

 With its unique properties, zeolite is important as a soil amendment in increasing the stability, health and soil productivity, and thus improves soil properties and plant nutritional and vegetative status. In this research, a potted method was used with chestnut-leaved oak (Quercus castaneifolia C. A. Mey.) seedlings. Zeolite was used at levels of 0 (control), 5, 10 and 15 wt%. To measure nitrate leaching, urea treatment was used as a nitrogen source of 0.5% by weight. Growth parameters of seedlings including height, basal diameter, biomass of root, stem, leaf and total were measured at the end of the period. The nutritional characteristics of leaf (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), soil characteristics (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, carbon, pH, electrical conductivity, relative humidity) and aggregate stability indices including mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), fractal dimension (D), water aggregate stability (WSA), degree of aggregate (DOA) and station of aggregate (SOA) were measured at the end of the period. Results showed that the use of zeolite significantly increased the height, collar diameter and total biomass of plant and improvement of soil and leaf nutrients, as well as soil aggregate stability indexes. The findings of this study confirm that adding 5% zeolite have desirable effects on preventing nitrate leaching and increasing soil aggregate stability and oak seedling growth.

Keywords

References

- Abedi-Koupai, J., Mousavi, S.F. and Motamedi, A., 2010. Effect of clinoptilolite zeolite application on reducing urea leaching from soil. Journal of Water and Wastewater, 21(3): 51-57 (In Persian).
- Ahmadloo, F., Tabari, M., Rahmani, A., Yousefzadeh, H. and Kooch, Y., 2009. Effect of organic matter compositions on growth and production performance of Pinus brutia Ten. and P. halepensis Mill. seedlings. Iranian Journal of Forest, 1(4): 287-299 (In Persian).
- Eaton, A.D., Clesceri, L.S., Rice, E.W. and Greenberg, A.E., 2005. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 21st Edition. American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C., 1368p.‏
- Eroglu, N., Emekci, M. and Athanassiou, C.G., 2017. Applications of natural zeolites on agriculture and food production. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 97(11): 3487-3499.
- Ferretti, G., Keiblinger, K.M., Di Giuseppe, D., Faccini, B., Colombani, N., Zechmeister-Boltenstern, S., Coltorti, M. and Mastrocicco, M., 2018. Short-term response of soil microbial biomass to different chabazite zeolite amendments. Pedosphere, 28(2): 277-287.
- Gee, G.W. and Or, D., 2002. Particle-size analysis: 255-293. In: Dane, J.H. and Topp, G.C. (Eds.). Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 4 Physical Methods. Soil Science Society of America, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, 1692p.
- Ghazavi, R., Vali, A.A. and Mohammadesmaili, M., 2013. The application effects of natural zeolite at early stages of plant growth for two rangeland species (Ziziphose Spina christi and Acacia Salicina) under drought stresses. Arid Biome Scientific and Research Journal, 3(2): 84-88 (In Persian).
- Hagen-Thorn, A., Varnagiryte, I., Nihlgård, B. and Armolaitis, K., 2006. Autumn nutrient resorption and losses in four deciduous forest tree species. Forest Ecology and Management, 228(1): 33-39.
- Koocheki, A., Nassiri Mahallati, M., and Jafari, L., 2015. Evaluation of climate change effect on agricultural production of Iran: I. predicting the future agroclimatic conditions. Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research 13 (4): 651-664. (In Persian).
- Litaor, M.I., Katz, L. and Shenker, M., 2017. The influence of compost and zeolite co-addition on the nutrients status and plant growth in intensively cultivated Mediterranean soils. Soil Use and Management, 33(1): 72-80.
- Lodhiyal, N. and Lodhiyal, L.S., 2003. Aspects of nutrient cycling and nutrient use pattern of Bhabar Shisham forests in central Himalaya, India. Forest Ecology and Management, 176(1-3): 237-252.
- Malekian, R., Abedi-Koupai, J. and Eslamian, S.S., 2011. Influences of clinoptilolite and surfactant-modified clinoptilolite zeolite on nitrate leaching and plant growth. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 185(2-3): 970-976.
- Martelletti, S., Meloni, F., Freppaz, M., Viglietti, D., Lonati, M., Enri, S.R., …. and Nosenzo, A., 2019. Effect of zeolitite addition on soil properties and plant establishment during forest restoration. Ecological Engineering, 132: 13-22.
- Onyekwelu, J.C., Mosandl, R. and Stimm, B., 2006. Productivity, site evaluation and state of nutrition of Gmelina arborea plantations in Oluwa and Omo forest reserves, Nigeria. Forest Ecology and Management, 229(1-3): 214-227.
- Paungfoo-Lonhienne, C., Redding, M., Pratt, C. and Wang, W., 2019. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria increase the efficiency of fertilisers while reducing nitrogen loss. Journal of Environmental Management, 233: 337-341.
- Polat, E., Karaca, M., Demir, H. and Naci-Onus, A., 2004. Use of natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) in agriculture. Journal of Fruit and Ornamental Plant Research, 12: 183-189.
- Saadat, K. and Barani Motlagh, M., 2013. Influence of Iranian natural zeolites, clinoptilolite on uptake of lead and cadmium in applied sewage sludge by Maize (Zea mays. L.). Journal of Water and Soil Conservation, 20(4): 123-143 (In Persian).
- Sepaskhah, A.R. and Yousefi, F., 2007. Effects of zeolite application on nitrate and ammonium retention of a loamy soil under saturated conditions. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 45(5): 368-373.
- Tejada, M., Garcia, C., Gonzalez, J.L. and Hernandez, M.T., 2006. Use of organic amendment as a strategy for saline soil remediation: influence on the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 38(6): 1413-1421.
- Waling, I., Van Vark, W., Houba, V.J.G. and Van der Lee, J.J., 1989. Soil and Plant Analysis, A Series of Ayllabi: Part 7. Plant Analysis Procedures, Wageningen Agriculture University, Wageningen, 263p.
- Zareian, F., Jafari, M., Javadi, S.A. and Tavili, A., 2018. Application of zeolite and geohumus superabsorbent on establishment and some growth indices of Nitraria schoberi L. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 38(4): 296-301.
Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research
Volume 27, Issue 3 - Serial Number 77
December 2019
Pages 258-271

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics