Abstract
Zeolites have been used in agriculture since the 1960s, due to the effectiveness of these crystalline microporous solids as soil amendments for plant growth, their cation exchange capacity (CEC) and slow-release fertilizer properties. Most work on slow-release fertilizers has focused on natural Clinoptilolite, Phillipsite and Chabazite. The aim of this study was to synthesize clinoptilolite type of zeolite-enriched fertilizer study their effectiveness as soil amendments. Greenhouse experiments were performed to study the effects of clinoptilolite type of zeolite, synthesised zeolite-enriched ammophos fertilizer and ammophos fertilizer (12% N, 52% P2O5) on yield parameters of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) plant and some chemical properties in dark chestnut soil. According to greenhouse experiment results, there were significant differences among the treatments in relation to yield parameters (weight of one cucumber, shoot length, number of leaves, area of 10 leaves, number of fruits and fruit weight per plant) of cucumber and available nutrient contents of soil. It was determined that the yield parameters of cucumber plant, available nutrient contents (N, P and K) and cation exchange capacity were increased the most by synthesised zeolite-enriched fertilizer application.