INVESTIGATION CHEMICAL-MINERALOGICAL COMPOSITION, PORE STRUCTURE, AND MOISTURE RETENTION CHARACTERISTICS OF SOILS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC ADDITIVES

This study focuses on analyzing the chemical and mineralogical profiles of soils collected from Kegeyli and Khalkabad, located in the Southern Aral Sea basin. It examines how organic amendments influence their porous structure and ability to retain moisture. Experiments were conducted using 1% aqueous solutions of carboxymethyl cellulose and sodium alkylbenzenesulfonate in volumes of 4, 6, and 8 ml per 50 g of soil. It was found that, in all studied samples, the parameters calculated using benzene were higher than those with water. The introduction of additives contributed to an increase in specific surface area and redistribution of pores, improving moisture retention properties, particularly in saline conditions, which can be practically significant for improving agricultural soils in arid regions of the republic. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that both soil samples contain quartz, feldspars, clay minerals, and others.