Study on the effect of Polyacrylamide on canola seedling emergence in a crusted soil and some physicochemical properties of soil

Soil crust decreases soil infiltration and prevents plant stablishment. Thus reduction of crust effects is a prominent way to avert desertification. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of polyacrylamide on emergence of Canola seedlings in a crusted soil and some physicochemical properties of soil such as pH, EC, SAR and bulk density in a field located in Date and Tropical Fruits Research Center of Ahwaz. Statistic design was RCBD with seven treatments (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 kgha-1 of Polyacrylamide) wich solved in water with three replication. Similar plots with no plant were used to investigate the changes of some physicochemical properties of soil. Results indicated that all polyacrylamide treatments increase the canola seedling emergence significantly, so that seedling emergence was 3.5 times greater than control in 25 kgha-1 of polyacrylamide and had no effect on physicochemical properties of soil (except bulk density). All treatments of this polymer decreased soil bulk density in relation to control treatment significantly. Results showed that the most effective treatment of polyacrylamide was 25kgha-1.