S756 : Effect of wet and dry cycling on soil structural stability in water repellent soil
Thesis > Central Library of Shahrood University > Agricultural Engineering > MSc > 2025
Authors:
[Author], Vajiheh Dorostkar[Supervisor], [Advisor]
Abstarct: This study aimed to investigate the effect of biochar and wet-dry cycles on the physical properties and soil structure in two types of water repellent and non-water repellent soils. The experiment was designed as a factorial in a completely randomized design with two levels of biochar (0 and 2% by weight), five levels of wet-dry cycles (0, 2, 4, 8 and wet) and three replications. The results showed that the addition of biochar significantly increased organic carbon and carbohydrates in both soils; so that the amount of organic carbon in non-water repellent and water repellent soils increased by 7.8 and 5.3%, respectively. Also, in non-water repellent soils, the amount of carbohydrates in the presence of biochar in the zero cycle to the constantly wet cycle increased between 0.13 and 99%. The results of microbial respiration showed that the highest amount was recorded in the 2% biochar treatment and constantly wet cycle, while the lowest amount was observed in the zero cycle. Soil structure analysis also showed that biochar addition increased soil particle stability, and this effect was confirmed in both fast and slow wetting methods. The highest soil stability index was achieved in cycle 8, while in cycle 16, a negative effect and a decrease of about 85% in the soil physical quality index compared to the zero treatment were observed. Analysis of the moisture characteristic curve and fitting of the Modified van Genuchten model also showed that the model was able to describe moisture changes with high accuracy (significant R²). Overall, the findings indicate that biochar can play an important role in increasing organic matter, improving physical quality and soil stability by improving soil chemical and physical indices. However, the stability of these effects is affected by dry and wet cycles, and high repetition of cycles can reduce the positive effects of biochar. The importance of these results in sustainable soil and agricultural management, especially in drought-prone areas and soils with different behavior (water repellent and non-water reoellent), is very important and can be used to improve soil productivity and protect it as a vital resource.
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#. Keeping place: Central Library of Shahrood University
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