Date palm production contributes significantly to socio-economic development and food security in the dryland areas of Southern Tunisia. Soil degradation and nutrient depletion have dramatically increased in recent years. This is leading to a decline in date palm yields in these oases-based production systems. Locally derived bentonite clay has been identified as a new soil amendment to improve date morphological characteristics and date production. In this study, a 3-year field experimental study was carried out on 3-year-old Deglet Nour date palms growing in sandy soil of a Tunisian oasis (Fatnassa, Southern Tunisia). The study's aim was to compare the effect of two amendment types: (i) sand (S) mixed with farm manure (M) and bentonite clay (B) (=BSM) and (ii) sand mixed with farm manure (SM) on the soil characteristics and morphological features of date palm. The results indicated that soil macro-and micronutrient contents were enhanced under BSM. Soil water retention in BSM also increased to 290 ± 0.3 mm m −1 compared to 70 ± 0.2 and 50 ± 0.5 mm m −1 for an untreated (no amendment) and SM treatment, respectively. The amelioration of morphological characteristics was observed for the canopy diameter reaching 226 ± 0.6 cm in BSM treatment compared to 172 ± 0.6 cm in untreated palm trees. The height of the palms increased by 69 ± 0.8 cm from 29 ± 0.1cm in the control treatment, and leaf number increased from 40 leaves palm −1 in BS to 60 leaves palm −1 in BSM treatment. The leaf mineral content was significantly been improved in the third year, and the leaf NPK contents were 220 ± 0.6 mg kg −1 , 17 ± 0.1 mg kg −1 , and 200 ± 0.04 mg kg −1 , respectively, in BSM treatments. The effect of the farm manure and bentonite clay was noticeable for the yield production, and the SM and BSM treatments offered yields of 70 ± 0.9 kg palm −1 and 80 ± 0.5 kg palm −1 , respectively. It could partly ameliorate the alternate year bearing phenomenon of the Deglet Nour date variety. We conclude that the joint application of farm manure and bentonite clay does represent a viable option to further improve the production and resilience of date palms in dryland areas.
Although the importance of organic amendments on arid soils of semi-arid and arid lands in improving long-term soil fertility, the excessive use of these amendments may induce the mineralization of the soil’s native organic components. Thus, this study focused on the examination of the impact of the use of three different amendments, sewage sludge, compost, and horse manure on nitrogen soil dynamics as well on the physico-chemical characteristics (soil texture, nitrogen cycle, and carbon concentration) and plant characteristics (morphology and production). In this context, the present work discusses one of the major issues challenging sustainable agriculture development related to increasing land degradation, soil salinization, and fertility loss. The three amendments were applied on the soil collected at the Institute of Arid Regions of Gabes. The findings of these experimental trials indicated that compost seems to be the most valuable organic amendment that may be used for an adequate supply of nitrogen and optimal benefits for plant growth. The highest mineral nitrogen content was found in the treatment with sludge. The manure-based treatment had the highest carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N=25). The effects of the amendments were well reflected in the growth and production of bean plants after one year from the amendment. An increase in biomass was observed in the amended pots. The highest increase in pods biomass was obtained in the pots amended with sewage sludge and vegetable compost followed by household manure treatment
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