Two field experiments were conducted in El-Tina Plain area, North Sinai, Egypt, to study the effect of biochar and humic acid as nontraditional soil conditioners on some properties of sandy soil as well as the productivity of wheat and corn plants grown on such soil. The two conditioners were applied individually with three rates. The application rates of biochar were 5, 10 and 20 ton./fed., while the respective rates of humic acid were 5, 10 and 20 kg/fed.
Results of the present study revealed that the application of all the studied treatments decreased soil bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, pH, EC, soluble Na, SAR and ESP values, while increased cation exchange capacity, organic matter content, total N as well as available amounts of P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu in soil.
Data also indicated that all the treatments significantly increased the grain yields of wheat and corn plants and the treatment (20 kg humic/fed.) was the best one. As the rate of increment over the control due to such treatment reached 39.49 and 37.68 % for wheat and corn grain yields, respectively. Also, macro and micronutrient concentrations of such grains were significantly increased by increasing the application rates of the applied conditioners.
Based on results of the current study, it can be concluded that using biochar and humic acid as organic conditioners is helpful to improve soil properties, compensate the deficiency of nutrients in soil and have significant effects on the productivity of wheat and corn plants. These materials are easily producible, biodegradable, less expensive, cause no environmental hazards to human health and will be ecologically safe and culturally more acceptable among farmers. So, it can be recommended to use such materials as soil conditioners under salt affected soil conditions.