INVESTIGATION OF THE SOIL POLLUTION-REDUCING EFFECT OF BENTONITE IN SANDY SOILS

Abstract

The imperative need to surmount the low productivity and harsh environmental risks of sandy soils is the rationale for this study. These soils are extremely susceptible to unsustainable management due to their limited water-holding capacity, leaching of nutrients, and risk of heavy metal mobility. Conventional fertilization methods are ineffective because a significant amount of the nutrients provided are lost outside the rooting zone, which pollutes groundwater and lowers agronomic efficiency. Although bentonite amendments have been demonstrated to overcome these constraints by improving the physical and chemical characteristics of soil, little is known about how they specifically affect the retention and bioavailability of micronutrients like Cu and Mn as well as nitrogen forms (NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺) in sandy soils.