Rea. Sabrah et al., OPTIMIZING PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES OF A SANDY SOIL FOR HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY USING TOWN REFUSE COMPOST IN SAUDI-ARABIA, Journal of arid environments, 29(2), 1995, pp. 253-262
Under the environmental conditions of the central sector of Saudi Arab
ia, El-Gassim region, two field experiments were conducted on a sandy
soil in the winter seasons of 1990-91 and 1998-92. Town refuse compost
, at rates of 0.0, 16.5, 33.0, 49.5 and 66.0 t ha-1, was incorporated
into the soil to a depth of 10 cm. The effect of the compost in optimi
zing the physical conditions of the sandy soil, as well as growth, nut
rient uptake, grain and straw yields and water use efficiency of wheat
were studied. The results indicated that the various application rate
s through the two seasons of growth were significantly correlated with
improvements in the physical properties. The manure stimulated suitab
le conditions for plant growth and development, and acted as a good su
bstratum for microbial activity. This was positively reflected in the
magnitudes of dry weight, biological crop yield, root weight, nutrient
uptake, straw and grain yields, grain protein yield and water use eff
iciency. Generally, 33.0 t ha-1 of the manure was considered to be the
optimum application rate under the conditions of the present investig
ation. Moreover, the soil physical properties were significantly corre
lated with the results obtained for straw, grain and protein yields of
wheat during both seasons. Multiple regression analysis revealed that
the degree of aggregation is the important soil property for wheat pr
oduction in sandy soils.