Handbook of Soil Conditioners

Soil conditioners: introduction - soil conditioners, soil quality, and soil sustainability. Organic soil conditioners: organic mulches, wood products, and composts as soil amendments and conditioners; paper sludges as soil conditioners; use of manures for soil improvement; use of biosolids and effects on soil properties; cheese whey as a soil conditioner. Mineral soil conditioners: mined and by-product gypsum as soil amendments and conditioners; use of acids and acidulants on alkali soils and water; mined and industrial waste products capable of generating gypsum in soil; testing soils for lime requirements; liming to improve chemical and physical properties of soil. Polymer soil conditioners; designing synthetic soil conditioners via post-polymerization reactions: improvement of sandy soils with soil conditioners; krilium - the famous soil conditioner of the nineteen fifties; some uses of water-soluble polymers in soil; comparative effectiveness of polyacrylamide and straw mulch to control erosion and enhance water infiltration; use of water-soluble polyacrylamide for control of furrow irrigation-induced soil erosion; some living plants and some additional products useful as soil conditioners and in various technologies. Examples uses of soil conditioners: uses of soil conditioners in landscape soil preparation; soil conditioners for sports turf areas; use of soil conditioners to enhance and speed bioremediation of contaminated soil.