Water Movement and Chemical Characteristics of Sandy Loam Soil Affected by Nano Synthetic Conditioner under Saline Irrigation Water

A laboratory study evaluated the influence of a newly introduced Nano Synthetic Conditioner (NSC), characterized by 48.9 mg kg⁻¹ organic matter and 138 cmol kg⁻¹ CEC, on sandy loam soil under saline irrigation waters (0.86 and 1.6 dS m⁻¹). NSC was applied at rates of 0, 4, 6, and 8% with 24.88 mm saline water every 7 days for eight wetting/drying cycles. Results showed infiltration time significantly increased with higher NSC rates and saline water levels, leading to decreased infiltration rates. Intermittent evaporation (E) was significantly reduced with higher NSC application but generally increased with successive wetting/drying cycles. Percentage of water conserved (PWC) rose significantly with higher NSC rates and increasing soil depth, but saline water concentration had no significant effect. Soil EC, pH, ESP, OM, and CEC significantly increased with both saline water concentration and NSC application. Similarly, available NPK content was significantly influenced: increasing with saline water and NSC application but decreasing with soil depth. Findings indicate that NSC efficiently reduces evaporation and infiltration while enhancing water storage. Moreover, it significantly improves soil chemical properties and nutrient availability, particularly in the 0–30 cm surface layer. This preliminary laboratory study highlights the potential of NSC as an effective soil conditioner for sandy loam under saline irrigation, offering valuable insights for future field experiments, which may provide more comprehensive and practical evaluation despite their higher costs.