| Abstrakt: |
Background and Objectives: Land degradation and soil erosion are critical global problems due to their adverse effects on agricultural productivity, the environment, and their impact on food security and quality of life. In recent years, the study of the effect of soil microorganisms on soil degradation in dry areas and saline soil on various components of soil stability and stabilization has attracted the attention of many researchers. In the present research, it has tried to present new biological solutions and methods in compliance with the standards for curbing land degradation based on surface inoculation of soil-borne cyanobacteria on the surface of saline and alkaline soil. This research was done based on the natural conditions of the soil in the field under study and the evaluation of the potential effect of the inoculation of local soil cyanobacteria on the stability and stabilization of the saline and sodium soil surface using image processing. Materials and Methods: In this regard, the biologically studied soil was prepared from saline and erosion-sensitive lands from the Incheh Borun region in Golestan Province, Iran. Then, the most suitable cyanobacteria in the mother soil were identified, selected, purified, and propagated in two different soil salinities with two repetitions on prepared plots with dimensions of one in one in the study area. In order to maximize the effect of cyanobacteria in the soil environment, after 60 days of inoculation of cyanobacteria on the soil surface, in order to process the image with MATLAB software with different algorithms, the surface of the plots was photographed. Results: The results obtained from visual observation showed that the morphometry of soil surface in soil with low and high salinity, the surface of the soil treated with cyanobacteria was less swollen, and soil particles were mixed than the surface of the control treatment. According to the results obtained from the software, the value of the standard deviation of the pixels and the entropy of the images obtained from the image processing showed in the treatments with a lower salinity level compared to the treatments with a higher salinity level. The mean value of the standard deviation of the pixels of the images in the treatment inoculated with cyanobacteria has decreased by 37.36% and 14.55%, respectively, compared to the control treatment significantly (P<0.01). In addition, the mean entropy of the images in the treatment inoculated with cyanobacteria decreased by 9.18% and 3.04%, respectively, compared to the control treatment in a non-significant manner (P>0.01). Conclusion: According to the results, it can be said that the inoculation of cyanobacteria on the surface of saline soil can be considered to increase stabilization and reduce the degradation of soil grains on the soil surface. The results of the present study can be therefore considered as a bioengineering approach for soil stabilization in saline watersheds, which ultimately provides the basis for water, food, and environmental security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
