Hydrogel agriculture
Common hydrogel agriculture's ingredient is potassium polyacrylate or sodium polyacrylate. As a superabsorbent material, it can absorb plenty of water and turn water to gel to store water. Hydrogel agriculture technology uses insoluble gel-forming polymers to improve the water-holding properties of different soils, such as clays and sandy loams. This can increase water-holding and water use (up to 85% for sand), improve soil permeability, reduce the need for irrigation, reduce compaction, soil erosion, and leaching, and improve plant growth. Desertification and lack of water threaten agriculture in many arid and semi-arid regions of the world; these may be mitigated with hydrogels. Hydrogels Hydrogels are hydrophilic crosslinked polymers that form three-dimensional molecular networks which can absorb and hold great amounts of water. Different type of hydrogels in agriculture Different types may be suitable for agricultural use. A starch-based (grafing) hydrogel is biodegradable and cheap, and can be modified to adjust its ability to hold water. Cross-linked acrylic acid polymer hydrogels are commercially available; they are effectively insoluble but slowly break down releasing toxic acrylamide. Mineral grafing type potassium polyacrylate. None grafing type potassium polyacrylate. Mineral grafing type sodium polyacrylate. Potential uses in agriculture Hydrogels of different kinds could be useful in