Water retention and physical-chemical changes in a calcareous soil with application of a Mexican natural zeolite

Abstract

The objective in the investigation was to evaluate the water retention in a calcareous soil added with a Mexican natural zeolite. A natural zeolite can absorb and retain large amounts of water. Four treatments were tested; without zeolite application (T1-control), with application of 5 ton ha-1 (T2), 10 ton ha-1 (T3) and 15 ton ha-1 (T4) of zeolite. The experimental design was a complete block with four replicates. The percentage (%) of water retention in the soil was quantified on February 11, February 25, March 31 and April 12, 2021. Prior to the establishment of the experiment the soil (0-30 cm) was characterized by quantifying pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), N, P, carbonates, bicarbonates and chlorides.