This report, part of the 1973 FAO/UNDP Seminar, explores the distribution, properties, and stabilization efforts of sandy soils and sand dunes in Iran. It covers soil classifications, protective measures, and R&D projects such as petroleum mulching, mechanical windbreaks, and plantation of resilient species. Since 1959, Iran has made significant efforts to combat desertification and stabilize moving sand dunes in regions like Ahvaz, Sabzevar, and Qazvin.
Furthermore, in an official FAO report to the Government of Iran in 1971, the use of petroleum mulch was recommended, provided that the mulch layer can retain moisture and remain stable until full seed germination and seedling establishment.

The vigorous rise in the rate of population growth in the world, mostly in the developing countries, and the limitations on agricultural lands and products call for man to bring about a quest for new resources by the year 2000 in order to meets the various demands. The Khuzestan province is located in the south of Iran, which has an area of sandy plains exceeding 350,000 ha. This is in fact 3.5% of the entire state and 29.5% of the entire agricultural land of Khuzestan. The sand encroachment by wind over the agricultural lands, roads, pipelines and residential areas is a serious economic problem in this area. Sand dunes extend from the northwest to southeast of Ahwaz in the Khuzestan province, in the form of tapes. These include some sporadic expansions consisting of over 68 varieties. The two important sand dunes are those located in Albajy with an extent of about 9,000 ha; and that in the southwest of the Karkheh river of 115,000 ha. Research proves that afforestation offers a permanent solution for the sand dune area problem. Selection of a suitable plant species for this purpose is crucial for successful afforestation. As a result, four eucalyptus species were selected in further investigations. The samples of soil, climate, and ground water were collected and analyzed for several parameters using standard procedures. In this study, petroleum mulch is used for soil conservation, especially preventing wind erosion and also based on reserves of precipitation for plants species such as the eucalyptus. After more than 6 years of cultivating four eucalyptus species, the investigation conclusively demonstrated the Eucalyptus Camaldulensis 9616 as superior (adaptation and growth) to other species in the sand dunes of the Khuzestan province.

This study evaluated the effects of Iranian petroleum mulches (anionic, cationic, and clay emulsions) and the soil conditioner "Krilium Merloam" on evaporation reduction from calcareous soil under greenhouse conditions. Both surface and incorporation applications significantly decreased water evaporation, with the highest reduction (8.8%) observed at 10,000 L/ha (surface) and 0.25% (incorporation). Petroleum mulches formed a semi-impermeable vapor barrier and enhanced soil aggregation, restricting upward water flow. The findings suggest that Iranian petroleum mulches are effective alternatives for soil moisture conservation in arid regions.

This study compared the effects of three mulches (petroleum, sand, and pine straw) on eucalyptus seedbeds. The petroleum mulch, a water-based petroleum emulsion, outperformed pine straw and native sand in warming the soil and preventing erosion but showed no significant difference in reducing evaporation or nutrient leaching. Applying white sand over the petroleum mulch lowered soil temperatures but proved unstable under rain and irrigation. The findings suggest that petroleum mulch can effectively replace pine straw, while native sand mulch performed poorly.

This study investigates the effects of oil mulch on wind erosion control and soil properties in the Abu-Ghoveir area of Dehloran, Ilam. Following mulch application, soil samples were collected monthly over a year from three treatments (mulched, control, and afforestation) at two depths (0–10 cm and 10–50 cm). Soil parameters, including temperature, moisture, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), sodium (Na), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), were measured. Wind erosion threshold velocity was also determined using a wind tunnel. The findings revealed that oil mulch significantly influenced certain physical and chemical soil properties and effectively increased the threshold wind velocity. The optimal mulch application rate was estimated at 7 tons per hectare. Oil mulch application reduced evaporation, increased surface soil moisture, and provided a suitable substrate for the recovery of native vegetation in arid regions.