Comparing the Influence of Polyacrylamide and Polyvinyle Acetate on Improving Soil Physical Properties and Wheat Germination in Marl Formations

Marls are the most susceptible geological formation of erosion and keeping a permanent crop cover on the soil of this formation is difficult due to some limitations such as the instability of soil
structure, poor soil productivity and low soil moisture storage. Polymers can be investigated as one of options to protect soil resources in these formations. This study was conducted to compare the effects of polyacrylamide (PAM) and polyvinyle acetate (PVAc) on improving soil properties and germination rate in the marl formations. PAM and PVAc were sprayed on the soil surface with 0.0, 33.3, 66.6, 100.0 kg ha-1 amounts in three splits. In total 32 boxes of polymerized soil were provided and wheat seeds were planted in them. The soil physical properties along with the wheat germination percentage were evaluated in the polymerized soils after five rainfall simulations (40 mm h-1 for 30 min). The experiment was conducted as factorial using a completely randomized design with three replications. With an increase in the two polymers rates, aggregate size, aggregate stability and saturated hydraulic conductivity were significantly improved whereas bulk density and soil surface resistance were strongly decreased in the prepared marl soil. Water holding capacity and available water of the soil decreased after the application of PAM while no significant differences were found after treating with the PVAc. This study revealed that the PVAc had the same role with the PAM in improvement of soil physical properties and in contrast it had no negative effect on the water holding capacity. Therefore, the PVAc can be successfully considered as a replacement for the PAM in the marl areas.