article · Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy
Sandy soils in arid regions typically suffer from poor fertility, weak structural stability, and low water-holding capacity. A field experiment conducted in West El-Minia, Egypt, assessed the effectiveness of phosphogypsum as an amendment to improve sandy soil properties and wheat productivity. The amendment was tested at rates up to 30 tonnes per hectare using either surface broadcasting or soil incorporation. Results revealed that the optimal application strategy depends on farming priorities. Soil incorporation at 30 tonnes per hectare provided the greatest improvements in overall soil quality, reducing bulk density and soil pH while raising water capacity, cation exchange capacity, and microbial activity. In contrast, surface broadcasting at 20 tonnes per hectare achieved the highest grain yield and nutrient uptake. Across treatments, wheat grain yield increased by 29.5 percent to 60.3 percent over untreated controls.
Arid sandy soils severely restrict food production because they lose water rapidly and lack vital nutrients. Demonstrating that phosphogypsum can rehabilitate these degraded soils enables farmers in dry environments to enhance wheat production. This approach simultaneously improves soil water retention and microbial activity, helping build more resilient farming systems in regions facing severe environmental constraints.
This research demonstrates an applied and field-tested agricultural practice for commercial growers, farm managers, and agricultural advisers managing arid sandy lands. It could enable the use of phosphogypsum as a dual-purpose soil conditioner and yield booster. Commercial implementation appears at an applied field-trial stage, with practical adoption depending on whether end users select application rates and techniques designed for immediate harvest yields or broader long-term soil restoration.
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Abstract Purpose Sandy soils in arid regions have low fertility, poor structural stability, and limited water‐holding capacity. This study evaluated phosphogypsum (PG) as a soil amendment for improving sandy‐soil quality and wheat productivity under arid conditions. Methods A field experiment was conducted during the 2020/2021 winter season in West El‐Minia, Egypt. PG was applied at 0, 10, 20, and 30 t ha −1 by surface broadcasting or soil incorporation. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, wheat yield, and nutrient uptake were evaluated. Results Treatment performance depended on the management objective. Soil incorporation at 30 t ha −1 (T4M4) produced the strongest overall improvement in most soil and microbial indicators, whereas surface application at 20 t ha −1 (T3S3) produced the highest numerical grain yield and nutrient uptake. Under T4M4, bulk density decreased from 1.61 to 1.46 g cm −3 , field capacity increased from 16.0% to 25.16%, available water rose from 11.0% to 19.65%, soil pH declined from 8.2 to 7.8, and cation exchange capacity increased from 4.22 to 9.08 cmolc kg −1 . Microbial biomass carbon and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis activity increased by 327.7% and 107.6%, respectively. Grain‐yield increases ranged from 29.5% to 60.3% relative to the control. Conclusions Surface application at 20 t ha −1 was the most effective yield‐oriented treatment, whereas incorporation at 30 t ha −1 provided broader soil and microbial improvement. PG recommendations should therefore be selected according to the intended management objective rather than a single generalized optimum.
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DOI: 10.1002/ep.70660
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