Effect of Zeolite on the Hydraulic Parameters of Soil and Simulation of Water Flow Using HYDRUS-2D

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
M. Shadan 1
J. Behmanesh 1
S. Besharat 1
N. Azad 2
1 Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Water Engineering, Faculty of Water and Soil Engineering, Gorgan University of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.
10.22034/JAST.27.4.935
Abstract
Zeolites are recommended to utilize in agricultural sector due to their water holding and cation exchange capacity. Effect of zeolite on the hydraulic parameters of sandy loam soil was investigated and HYDRUS-2D was used to simulate the movement of water in the soil. Data needed were collected by conducting laboratory experiments. The studied treatments included four levels (Zzero, Z5, Z10, and Z15 g kg-1 of soil) to determine the effect of zeolite on hydraulic parameters including saturation moisture (θs), residual moisture (θr), shape parameter (n), point check air permeability (α), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of the soil. Four rounds of irrigation were done based on readily soil moisture and the soil moisture values before and after irrigation were measured using the Wet Sensor in the depth and radial directions and recorded for 45 days. The initial value of hydraulic parameters including θs, θr, α, n, and Ks were determined using Rosetta. Results showed that with the increase in the amount of zeolite, the parameters θs, θr, and n increased and the value of α decreased, which indicated a decrease in the rate of water discharge from the soil. However, the values of Ks tended to decrease. In fact, mixing zeolite causes soil to hold more water because of micro-pore structure of zeolites. The Efficiency Coefficient (EF) of HYDRUS-2D model, which shows the quality and how to fit the observed and estimated data, varied between 0.82 and 0.97, showing the high efficiency of the model in simulating humidity.

Keywords

Subjects

1. Abedi –Koupai, j., and Sohrabi, F., 2004. The effect of zeolite and bentonite minerals on the hydraulic properties of soils. The 12th Conference of Crystallography and Gemology of Iran, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, pages 562-567.
2. Adeboye, O. B., and Alatise, M. O. (2007). Performance of probability distributions and plotting positions in estimating the flood of river Osun at Apoje Sub-basin, Nigeria. Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal.‌
3. Asgarzadeh, H., Mosaddeghi, M.R., Dexter, A.R., Mahboubi, A.A., and Neyshabouri, M.R. 2014. Determination of soil available water for plants: consistency between laboratory and field measurements. Geoderma, 8: 20. 226-227
4. Belviso, C. (2020). Zeolite for potential toxic metal uptake from contaminated soil: A brief review. Processes, 8(7), 820.‌
5. Belviso, C., Satriani, A., Lovelli, S., Comegna, A., Coppola, A., Dragonetti, G., and Rivelli, A. R. (2022). Impact of zeolite from coal fly ash on soil hydrophysical properties and plant growth. Agriculture, 12(3), 356.‌
6. Bernardi, A., Olivera, P., Melo Monte, M., Polidoro, J.C., and Barros, F.S. 2010. Brazilian sedimentary zeolite is used in agriculture. World Congress of Soil Science, Australia.
7. Besharat, S., and Mollaee Tavani, S. (2016). Simulation of soil water profile in surface and subsurface drip irrigation systems by HYDRUS-2D. Journal of Water and Soil Conservation, 23(2), 225-238.‌
8. Blake, G.R. and Hartge, K.H. 1986. Bulk Density. In: Klute, A. (Ed). Methods of soil analysis, Part 1. Physical and Mineralogical Methods-Agronomy Monograph, No. 9, Soil Science Society of America and American Society of Agronomy, Madison, pp: 363-375.
9. Blanco-Canqui, H., and Lal, R. (2009). Crop residue removal impacts soil productivity and environmental quality. Critical reviews in plant science, 28(3), 139-163.‌
10. Celia, M. A., Bouloutas, E. T., and Zarba, R. L. (1990). A general mass-conservative numerical solution for the unsaturated flow equation. Water Resources Research, 26, 1483e1496.
11. Colombani, N., Mastrocicco, M., Di Giuseppe, D., Faccini, B., and Coltorti, M. (2015). Batch and column experiments on nutrient leaching in soils amended with Italian natural zeolites. Catena, 127, 64-71.‌
12. Colombani, N., Mastrocicco, M., Di Giuseppe, D., Faccini, B., and Coltorti, M. (2014). Variation of the hydraulic properties and solute transport mechanisms in a silty-clay soil amended with natural zeolites. Catena, 123, 195-204.‌
13. Comegna, A., Belviso, C., Rivelli, A. R., Coppola, A., Dragonetti, G., Sobhani, A., and Lovelli, S. (2023). Analysis of critical water flow and solute transport parameters in different soils mixed with a synthetic zeolite. Catena, 228, 107150.‌
14. Crevoisier, D., Popova, Z., Mailhol, JC and Ruelle, P. 2008. Assessment and simulation of water and nitrogen transfer under furrow irrigation. Agricultural Water Management. (95):354–366.
15. Fujimaki, H., Ando, Y., Cui, T.B., and Inoue, M. 2008. Parameter estimation of a root water uptake model under salinity stress. Vadose Zone Journal, 7, 31–38.
16. Fan, J., Chen, B., Wu, I., Zhang, F., Xiang, Y., Zheng, J., 2016. Climate change effects on reference crop evapotranspiration across different climatic zones of China during 1956-2015. J. Hydro. 542: 923-937
17. Gholizadeh-Sarabi, S.,and Sepaskhah, A. R. (2013). Effect of zeolite and saline water application on saturated hydraulic conductivity and infiltration in different soil textures. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 59(5), 753-764.
18. Ibrahim, H. M., and Alghamdi, A. G. (2021). Effect of the particle size of clinoptilolite zeolite on water content and soil water storage in loamy sand soil. Water, 13(5), 607.‌
19. Jakkula, V. S., and Wani, S. P. (2018). Zeolites: Potential soil amendments for improving nutrient and water use efficiency and agriculture productivity. Scientific Reviews & Chemical Communications, 8(1), 1-15
20. Jarosz, R., Szerement, J., Gondek, K., and Mierzwa-Hersztek, M. (2022). The use of zeolites as an addition to fertilizers–A review. Catena, 213, 106125.
21. Jha, V. K., and Hayashi, S. (2009). Modification on natural clinoptilolite zeolite for its NH4+ retention capacity. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 169(1-3), 29-35.‌
22. Khorami, M., Alizadeh., A, and Ansari, H. (2013). Simulation of water movement and moisture redistribution in soil in drip irrigation by Hydrus 2D/3D model. Water and Soil, 27(4), 692-702.
23. Li, J., Liu, Z., Jiang, C., Li, Y., Li, H., and Xia, J. (2021). Optimization design of key parameters for bioretention cells with mixed filter media via HYDRUS-1D model and regression analysis. Ecological Engineering, 164, 106206.‌
24. Marquardt, D. W. 1963. An algorithm for least squares estimation of non-linear parameters. J. Ind. Appl. Math. 11: 431-441.
25. McGilloway, R. L., Weaver, R. W., Ming, D. W., and Gruener, J. E. (2003). Nitrification in a geoponic substrate. Plant and soil, 256, 371-378.‌
26. Mualem, Y. (1976). A new model for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated porous media. Water resources research, 12(3), 513-522.‌
27. Nazari, E., Besharat, S., Zeinalzadeh, K., and Mohammadi, A. (2021). Measurement and simulation of the water flow and root uptake in soil under subsurface drip irrigation of apple tree. Agricultural Water Management, 255, 106972.‌
28. Pal, D. K., Bhattacharyya, T., Ray, S. K., Chandran, P., Srivastava, P., Durge, S. L., and Bhuse, S. R. (2006). Significance of soil modifiers (Ca-zeolites and gypsum) in naturally degraded Vertisols of Peninsular India in redefining the sodic soils. Geoderma, 136(1-2), 210-228.‌
29. Ravali, C., Rao, K. J., Anjaiah, T., and Suresh, K. (2020). Effect of zeolite on soil physical and physico-chemical properties. Multilogic Sci, 10, 776-781.‌
30. Razmi, Z., and Sepaskhah, A. R. (2012). Effect of zeolite on saturated hydraulic conductivity and crack behavior of silty clay paddled soil. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 58(7), 805-816.‌
31. Reid, G., Klebe, S., Van Zandwijk, N., and George, A. M. (2021). Asbestos and Zeolites: from A to Z via a Common Ion. Chemical research in toxicology, 34(4), 936-951.‌
32. Samolej, K., and Chalupnik, S. (2021). Investigations on the application of different synthetic zeolites for radium removal from water. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 229, 106529.‌
33. Samreen, T., Shah, H. U., Ullah, S., and Javid, M. (2017). Zinc effect on the growth rate, chlorophyll, protein, and mineral contents of hydroponically grown mung bean plant (Vigna radiata). Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 10, S1802-S1807.‌
34. Sangeetha, C., and Baskar, P. (2016). Zeolite and its potential uses in agriculture: A critical review. Agricultural Reviews, 37(2), 101-108.‌
35. Sepaskhah, A. R., and Yousefi, F. (2007). Effects of zeolite application on nitrate and ammonium retention of a loamy soil under saturated conditions. Soil Research, 45(5), 368-373.‌
36. Shaddox, T., 2004. Investigation of soil amendments for use in golf course putting green construction. Soil and Water Science, 136 p.
37. Šimůnek J, van Genuchten MTh and Sejna M (2011) The HYDRUS software package for simulating two- and three-dimensional movement of water, heat, and multiple solutes in variably-saturated media. In: Technical Manual, Version 2. PC Progress, Prague, Czech Republic, 260 p.
38. Šimůnek, J. I. R. K. A., Van Genuchten, M. T., & Šejna, M. (2006). The HYDRUS software package for simulating two-and three-dimensional movement of water, heat, and multiple solutes in variably-saturated media. Technical manual, version, 1, 241.‌
39. Simunek, J., Sejna, M. and van Genuchten, M.Th. 1999. The HYDRUS-2D software package for simulating the two-dimensional movement of water, heat, and multiple solutes in variably saturated media. IGWMC-TPS 53, Version 2.0, International Ground Water Modeling.
40. Siyal, A. A., and Skaggs, T. H. (2009). Measured and simulated soil wetting patterns under porous clay pipe sub-surface irrigation. Agricultural water management, 96(6), 893-904.‌
41. Soudejani, H. T., Shayannejad, M., Kazemian, H., Heidarpour, M., and Rutherford, M. (2020). Effect of co-composting municipal solid waste with Mg-modified zeolite on soil water balance components using HYDRUS-1D. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 176, 105637.‌
42.Sun, L., Li, B., Yao, M., Mao, L., Zhao, M., Niu, H., ... and Wang, J. (2023). Simulation of Soil Water Movement and Root Uptake under Mulched Drip Irrigation of Greenhouse Tomatoes. Water, 15(7), 1282.‌
43. Szatanik-Kloc, A., Szerement, J., Adamczuk, A., and Józefaciuk, G. (2021). Effect of low zeolite doses on plants and soil physicochemical properties. Materials, 14(10), 2617.‌‌
44. Szerement, J., Ambrożewicz-Nita, A., Kędziora, K., and Piasek, J. (2014). Use of zeolite in agriculture and environmental protection. A short review. Вісник Національного університету Львівська політехніка. Теорія і практика будівництва, (781), 172-177.‌
45. Tohidi-Moghadam, H. R., Shirani-Rad, A. H., Nour-Mohammadi, G., Habibi, D., Modarres-Sanavy, S. A. M., Mashhadi-Akbar-Boojar, M., and Dolatabadian, A. (2009). Response of six oilseed rape genotypes to water stress and hydrogel application. Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical, 39(3), 243-250.‌
46. Torkashvand, A. M., and Shadparvar, V. (2013). Effect of some organic waste and zeolite on water holding capacity and PWP delay of soil. Current Biotica, 6(4), 459-465.‌
47. Van Genuchten M. T. 1980. A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Science Society of American Journal. 44: 892-898.
48. Van Genuchten, M.Th., Leij, F.J. and Yates, S.R., 1991. The RETC code for quantifying the hydraulic functions of unsaturated soils. Research Report No, 600/2-91/065. USEPA, Environment Research Laboratory, Ada, Ok.
49. Wang, J., Cai, H., Chen, X., 2006. Study and evaluation methods of reference crop evapotranspiration in a solar-heated greenhouse. J. Irrig. Drain, Eng.25 (6), 11-14 (in Chinese with English abstract).
50. Yahaya, A., Ing, T. C., Lee, G. M., Yahaya, N., Boon, Y., Hashim, S., ... and Jesus, S. K. C. I. (2012). The impact of workplace bullying on work performance. Archives Des Sciences, 65(4), 18-28
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 27, Issue 4
July and August 2025
Pages 935-952