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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 45(5)

Effects of zeolite application on nitrate and ammonium retention of a loamy soil under saturated conditions

A. R. Sepaskhah A B and F. Yousefi A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Irrigation Department, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran.

B Corresponding author. Email: sepas@shirazu.ac.ir

Australian Journal of Soil Research 45(5) 368-373 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR06069
Submitted: 29 May 2006  Accepted: 27 June 2007   Published: 16 August 2007

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) loss from irrigated cropland, especially in rice paddies, results in low N-use efficiency and groundwater contamination. Soil conditions that increase ammonium and nitrate ion retention alleviate these problems. Clinoptilolite, a naturally occurring zeolite with high-exchange capacity, may be used to absorb ammonium and retard excess leaching of nitrate. The objectives of this research were to determine the effects of different rates of Ca–K-zeolite application (0, 2, 4, and 8 g/kg soil) on pore water velocity and leaching of ammonium and nitrate applied as ammonium nitrate fertiliser to a loam soil at a rate of 350 kg N/ha under saturated conditions similar to that of a rice paddy. The results indicate that Ca–K-zeolite applications of 4 and 8 g/kg soil increase the pore water velocity by 35% and 74%, respectively. The maximum relative concentration (c/co) for the nitrate breakthrough curve occurring at pore volume of about 0.5 was reduced by 15% with a zeolite application rate of 8 g/kg soil. When applying 40 cm of leaching water, leached nitrate was 75% and 63% of total applied nitrate at the soil surface with zeolite applications of 4 and 8 g/kg soil, respectively. Due to the high ion exchange capacity of zeolite, the application of zeolite at 2 g/kg soil is enough to increase the exchange sites in the soil in order to absorb the applied ammonium and prevent its leaching by the inflow water. The maximum ammonium concentration in the breakthrough curve for the zeolite application rate of 2 g/kg soil was reduced by 43% compared with the control treatment. The relationship between the hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient (D) for nitrate and pore water velocity (v) was not linear and it was correlated with squared pore water velocity. The coefficient of the relationship between D and v2 was dependent on the zeolite application rate and linearly increased with this rate.

Additional keywords: nitrate displacement, ammonium displacement, nitrate diffusion coefficient, mean pore radius.


Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Shiraz University Research Council under research grant no. 83-GR-AGR 42.


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