Soil science
Mina Alipour Babadi; Mojtaba Norouzi Masir; Abdolamir Moezzi; Afrasyab Rahnama Ghahfarokhi; Mehdi Taghavi Zahedkolaei
Abstract
Introduction:
Iron (Fe) is a critical micronutrient essential for plant metabolic processes. However, in calcareous soils with high pH, Fe availability is severely restricted due to its precipitation as insoluble forms, leading to Fe deficiency and yield reduction in many crops. This limitation highlights ...
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Introduction:
Iron (Fe) is a critical micronutrient essential for plant metabolic processes. However, in calcareous soils with high pH, Fe availability is severely restricted due to its precipitation as insoluble forms, leading to Fe deficiency and yield reduction in many crops. This limitation highlights the need for alternative strategies to enhance Fe uptake efficiency in plants. Recent studies suggest that Fe aminochelates (complexes of Fe with organic ligands such as amino acids) can significantly improve Fe availability and uptake in alkaline soils. Fe deficiency is especially problematic in arid and semi-arid regions, where calcareous soils dominate and conventional Fe fertilizers, such as FeSO₄, are often ineffective due to rapid oxidation and fixation of Fe³⁺. Insufficient Fe availability disrupts chlorophyll synthesis, enzyme activity, and overall photosynthetic efficiency, which ultimately affects plant growth, biomass accumulation, and nutritional quality. Therefore, improving Fe acquisition through more stable and bioavailable sources is crucial for sustainable crop production. Among various synthetic and natural Fe sources, Fe aminochelates have drawn attention because of their stability, solubility, and ability to resist precipitation in high-pH environments. By forming soluble Fe–amino acid complexes, these chelates enhance Fe translocation within plant tissues and promote physiological functions even under Fe-limiting conditions. Given this potential, the present study was conducted with the following objectives: (i) to evaluate the effect of fertigation application with Fe aminochelates and FeSO₄ on the distribution of Fe chemical fractions in the solid phase of calcareous soil, (ii) to analyze the correlation between soil Fe fractions and Fe content/uptake in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Oscar), and (iii) to establish a comparative efficacy framework for Fe sources in calcareous soil-plant systems under fertigation management.
Materials and Methods:
A field experiment was carried out using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments included: (1) control (without any Fe fertilizer), (2) FeSO₄ at 20 kg ha⁻¹, (3) Fe-glycine [Fe (Gly)2] aminochelate at 4 L ha⁻¹, and (4) Fe- methionine [Fe(Met)₂] aminochelate at 4 L ha⁻¹. Fertilizers were applied through irrigation (fertigation). At the end of the growing season, soil samples were collected and analyzed for pH, DTPA-extractable Fe, and Fe chemical forms in the solid phase using the modified Tessier sequential extraction method. The measured Fe fractions included exchangeable (EXC-Fe), organically bound (ORG-Fe), carbonate-bound (CAR-Fe), Fe/Mn oxide-bound (OX-Fe), and residual (RES-Fe). Additionally, Fe concentration in sunflower seeds and leaves and also seed Fe uptake were quantified.
Results and Discussion:
Application of Fe aminochelates significantly affected Fe dynamics in the soil and improved Fe nutrition in plants. Both [Fe(Gly)₂] and [Fe(Met)₂] treatments resulted in a significant decrease in soil pH compared to control and FeSO₄, which likely enhanced Fe solubility. The DTPA-extractable Fe content increased by 28.5% and 35.2% in [Fe(Gly)₂] and [Fe(Met)₂] treatments, respectively, relative to the control. These treatments also increased seed Fe concentration by 5.1% and 7.5%, and seed Fe uptake by 66.6% and 86.7%, respectively. The distribution of Fe chemical fractions in the soil followed the order: residual > Fe/Mn oxides > carbonate-bound > organically bound > exchangeable. Fe aminochelates, especially [Fe(Met)₂], significantly enhanced the relative proportion of EXC-Fe and ORG-Fe while decreasing the proportion of CAR-Fe compared to both control and FeSO₄. Furthermore, DTPA-extractable Fe exhibited strong positive correlations with EXC-Fe (r = 0.87**) and ORG-Fe (r = 0.84**) fractions. Among the different forms, EXC-Fe (r = 0.72**) and ORG-Fe (r = 0.69**) showed significant positive correlations with seed Fe concentration, indicating their critical role in Fe bioavailability and plant uptake. These findings support the hypothesis that [Fe(Met)₂], due to its greater stability and chelation strength, improves Fe mobilization and provides a renewable pool of bioavailable Fe in the soil system. Thus, Fe aminochelates can contribute to improved nutrient acquisition and enhanced crop quality under Fe-deficient calcareous conditions.
Conclusion:
This study confirms the superior efficacy of Fe aminochelates, particularly [Fe(Met)₂], over conventional FeSO₄ in enhancing Fe bioavailability in nutrient-deficient, calcareous soils. The significant shift in Fe fractions towards more labile pools (EXC-Fe and ORG-Fe) and the strong correlations between these pools and plant Fe uptake underscore the potential of aminochelates to create a more plant-available Fe reservoir. Therefore, the use of Fe aminochelates represents a viable and efficient strategy to correct Fe deficiency and improve crop nutritional quality in calcareous soils, contributing to more sustainable micronutrient management practices.
N. Mehrab; M. Chorom; M. Norouzi Masir
Abstract
Introduction: Decontamination of heavy metals (HMs), especially cadmium (Cd) which has high mobility in the soil, is very important due to the effects of HMs pollution on the soil, environment, and human. Numerous efforts have been made to develop technologies for the remediation of contaminated soils, ...
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Introduction: Decontamination of heavy metals (HMs), especially cadmium (Cd) which has high mobility in the soil, is very important due to the effects of HMs pollution on the soil, environment, and human. Numerous efforts have been made to develop technologies for the remediation of contaminated soils, including ex-situ washing with physical-chemical methods, and the in-situ immobilization of metal pollutants. These methods of clean up are generally very costly, and often harmful to properties of the soil (i.e., texture, organic matter, microorganisms). Recently, the phytoremediation of HMs from contaminated soils has attracted attention for its low cost of implementation and many environmental benefits. Several chelating agents, such as DTPA, EDTA, and NTA, have been studied for their ability to dissolve metals, leach heavy metals, and enhance the uptake of metals by plants. Although many researchers have reported that EDTA is excellent solubilizing agents for HMs from contaminated soils, it is quite persistent in the environment due to the low biodegradability. Hence recently the easily biodegradable chelating agent NTA has been proposed to enhance the uptake of HMs in phytoremediation as well as the leaching of HMs from the soil. Therefore, in the present study attempts are made to investigate the effect of applicability NTA in Cd leaching and the refining of Cd from contaminated-soil by maize.
Materials and Methods: In this research, the effect of NTA on Cd leaching and its absorption by maize in contaminated-soil in a greenhouse experiment were investigated. The experiment was a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design. The treatments consisted of three levels of Cd contamination (0, 25 and 50 mg kg-1soil) and three levels of NTA (0, 15 and 30 mmol per pot) in loamy soil and in the cultured and non-cultured conditions under three irrigation conditions. The soil was contaminated with cadmium chloride (CdCl2.2.5H2O). Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (in the form of urea, triple superphosphate and potassium phosphate, respectively) were added to the pots. NTA was added in three steps to the pots. The first step of adding NTA was beginning 4 weeks after cultivation, occurring approximately once in 14 days. Also, 7 days after adding NTA, the pots were irrigated with an amount corresponding to 20% more water than the moisture of soil saturation condition. The drainage water collected from each irrigation event was kept in a refrigerator at 5°C prior to Cd analysis. The plants were cut about 5 mm above the soil surface after 10 weeks of maize growth and were dried for analyzing Cd in the plant. Analysis of variance was used to study the effects of different treatments of Cd and NTA on Cd contents in drainage water, plant, and soil. Statistical analysis were performed using SPSS. Means of treatments were compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) and the graphs were plotted in Excel.
Results and Discussion: The contrasting impact between irrigation rounds and Cd treatments, as well as NTA treatments on Cdtotal leached was significant (P<0.05). The highest Cd leached was in 50 mgCd kg-1soil (Cd50) and 30 mmol NTA (NTA30) in the first irrigation round. In the next two rounds, the Cd leached from the soil was inconsiderable. Different levels of Cd and NTA showed a significant difference in Cd concentration in the first round of leaching. In non-cultivated pots, the amount of Cd leaching in Cd50NTA15 and Cd50NTA30 treatments increased by 8 and 15 times, respectively than that in Cd50NTA0 treatment. In the case of similar treatments in the presence of maize, the Cd leaching rate increased by 5.8 and 6 times, respectively, than that in (NTA0). Cd absorbed by maize in (Cd50, NTA30) was maximum and that measured 58% more than that in (Cd50, NTA0), while dry weight decreased significantly (30% in the shoot and 40% in the root). After the cultivation and leaching process, the maximum amount of DTPA-extractable Cd was observed in (Cd50, NTA0). While using (NTA15, NTA30) at the same level of Cd-contamination (Cd50), there was a significant decrease in DTPA-extractable Cd (due to the increase in Cd dissolved, Cd leached and Cd absorbed by plants). Due to pH between 2-3 and EC about 2.5-3.5 in NTA solutions, the application of NTA in soil decreased pH and increase EC in the soil. On the other hand, the decrease in pH of soil increased solubility of calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE), thereby reduced CCE in the soil. The results of this study showed that the soil pH was effective on HMs absorption by plants, therefore the availability of Cd after the use of NTA may be due to the decrease of alkalinity in the soil. The presence of organic-metal bonds in chelate-metal compounds causes metals to be less exposed to colloids, hydroxides, and oxides thus will prevent their stabilization in the soil. So it can be said that one of the effective methods for increasing the absorption of HMs from the soil by the plant is to reduce the pH of the soil. Some of the soil properties, such as pH and total heavy metal concentration, improves the efficiency of the chelator agent.
Conclusion: The results showed that an increase in the amount of Cd contamination and NTA applied increased Cd content in drainage water and Cd which was uptake by maize. Also, results showed well, the combined of maize planting and the use of NTA is successful in refining Cd from contaminated-soil. It seems that Adding NTA as a natural chelator in Iranian calcareous soils can increase the dissolution of Cd and extract it from the soil during a leaching period without contamination of the environment, as well as increase the efficiency of removing Cd by maize.
Arsalan Sadeghian; gholamabbas sayyad; Ahmad Farrokhian Firouzi; Mojtaba Norouzi Masir
Abstract
Introduction: Soil is one of the renewable natural resources that take a long time to get renewed; its destruction or conservation depends on how land is used and managed. Soil quality refers to soil capacity in maintaining biological fertility, sustainability in plant production and yield. Maintaining ...
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Introduction: Soil is one of the renewable natural resources that take a long time to get renewed; its destruction or conservation depends on how land is used and managed. Soil quality refers to soil capacity in maintaining biological fertility, sustainability in plant production and yield. Maintaining soil quality is essential for sustainable food production and decomposition of organic wastes. Different agronomic managements have various effects on soil quality indicators. There are few published researches about the effect of various agronomic managements on soil quality indices in arid and semi-arid regions (such as Iran). Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate and compare the effects of three different agronomic management including crop rotation-crop residue removal, monoculture-crop residue removal and monoculture-crop residue retention systems on some physical indicators of soil quality.
Materials and Methods: In this research, three farms with three crop management systems including crop rotation-crop residue removal, monoculture-crop residue removal and monoculture-crop residue retention (10 ton per hectare) systems were investigated. In the monoculture-crop residue removal treatment, wheat was continuously cultivated for 8 years. In the rotation-crop residue removal system, wheat - mung bean were cultivated in rotation for 2 years. For the monoculture-crop residue retention system, wheat was planted for 10 years, after which the post-harvest residues were mixed with topsoil (0-15 cm). One hundred twenty soil samples (40 samples from each field) were prepared by systematic sampling from 0 to 15 cm depth. In order to investigate the effect of different agronomic management on soil physical quality, some indicators including soil organic matter, total porosity, bulk density, mean weight diameter of aggregates, aggregate stability, available water capacity, penetration resistance, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and slope of retention curve at inflection point (S-index) were measured. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Also, the mean comparison was performed using Duncan's multiple range test.
Results and Discussion: The results of analysis of variance showed that the type of crop management had a significant effect (p<0.01) on organic matter, total porosity, bulk density, mean weight diameter of aggregates, aggregate stability, available water capacity, penetration resistance, saturated hydraulic conductivity and S-index. The results of mean comparison indicated that the monoculture-crop residue removal system resulted in a significant increase in bulk density (1.31 g cm-3) and soil penetration resistance (0.4 MPa) than other systems, while the highest organic matter content (1.038 %), porosity (55.7%), mean weight diameter (1.04 mm), aggregate stability index (28%), available water capacity (0.15%), saturated hydraulic conductivity (46.17 cm h-1) and S-index (0.053) was observed in the monoculture-crop residue retention system. The most measured values for soil quality indicators were more in monoculture-crop residual retention system compared with the other treatments. The amount of S-index of soils under monoculture-crop residual retention, crop rotation-crop residues removal, and monoculture-crop residual removal systems were 0.053, 0.032 and 0.019, respectively. The high S-index value of soil under monoculture-crop residual retention system can be attributed to its suitable amount of soil organic carbon and better soil structural quality. By contrast, in monoculture-crop residue removal system, elimination of organic matter had undesirable effect on soil porosity, and aggregate stability. Furthermore, the S-index values of the soils under crop rotation-crop residues removal, and monoculture-crop residual removal systems are below the Dexter’s soil quality index threshold (0.035); therefore, the results indicated that the soils are degraded.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that crop management plays an important role in changing soil physical quality indicators. Among the studied crop managements, monoculture-crop residue retention management system showed more positive effects on soil physical parameters than the others. Retention of crop residues on soil surface increases the soil organic matter which in turn has positive effects on soil properties such as aggregate stability, saturated hydraulic conductivity, available water content and slope of retention curve at the inflection point. On the other hand, the monoculture-crop reside removal treatment, with less soil organic matter, had more undesirable effects on agronomic soils than other treatments. Based on the results, the effect of different agronomic management systems on improving soil physical quality indexes was in the following order: monoculture-crop residue retention >crop rotation-crop residue removal > monoculture-crop residue removal. According to the results, it can be concluded that soil organic matter is the central index of soil quality, which is intensely influenced by crop management system. Therefore, in arid and semiarid areas such as Iran, monitoring of the long-time effect of agronomic management on status of soil organic matter and soil physical indices is urgent.
