Abstract
A soil ameliorant of hydroxy aluminium polymers (Hydral) was tested to improve some of the physical properties of a heavy clay soil belonging to Gray Upland soil group.
The addition of Hydral (0 to 5% on the weight basis) to the soil resulted in significant decrease in hardness and adhesion. The increase of water permeability was observed significant, although the effect of Hydral treatment on porosity was rather slight.
The pH values of the soil was lowered by the Hydral application. The followed leaching alleviated this pH drop in the soil to some extent. Electric conductivity of the soil tended to rise by the Hydral treatment but controlled to fovorable levels by the leaching.
The leaching treatment after the Hydral application did not weaken the effect of Hydral in improving hardness, adhesion, porosity, and water permeability of the soil. Consequently, this soil ameliorant was regarded very useful for the tested soil to improve its physical properties mentioned above, although further studies were necessary for alleviating unfavorable effects on pH and EC of the soil in relation to crop cultivation.
