For any developing nation, Agriculture has a major stand in its
economy. It manages the food security for the ever increasing population and
provides a source of hand to mouth for a number of people based in rural areas.
Irrigation practices has changed over the years with change in farming technologies,
selected outputs and input materials depending upon soil conditions and climate
but still there are places which follow age old conventional style of farming
which not only reduces the effective use of water but also limits the available
resources.
Today’s farming style has changed from what can be grown to what is economical to grow.
Catastrophes like water scarcity, soil infertility, irregular
rainfall opens the gate to drought, monetary loss, price inflation, lesser
production and farmer misery. These problems have been rising up recently in
huge numbers and we don’t have a concrete solution as of now. What we have are
technologies by which their adversity can be somewhat neutralized. One of them
or rather feasible and cheaper of them, is the application of hydrogel on
agricultural fields. This unique formulation solves the water related problem
up to a large extent, upgrading the soil texture.
How? Upon its application, it mixes up with soil particles and
swells up on contact with water. This swelling up of hydrogel behaves like a
small packets of water and imparts water retaining property to the roots of the
plants. As soon as the conditions become dry, it starts releasing water
molecules, which can be directly accessed by them which will ensure
uninterrupted water supply and normal growth.
Hydrogels are super
absorbent polymers having cross-linking molecular structure with a hydrophilic
group attached, which absorbs water to about 500-600 times of its own weight.
It acts as a water reservoir for plants, it traps irrigation and rain water
which can be released later at the time of requirement over prolonged
durations. Hydrogel polymer also absorbs nutrients from the soil which are
utilized by plants for carrying out various physiological processes. One of the
major advantages of hydrogel is that it can be used on a wide variety of soils.
Water Hydrogel polymer does not alter the chemical composition of soils on
which it is applied, nor does it impair the action of applied biocides viz.
fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc. These superabsorbent
polymers are based on Polyacrylamide. Water gets into this polymeric cross link
network via osmosis. Hydrogel polymers are effective even at high temperature in
arid and semi-arid areas.
Using hydrogel in irrigational field will ensure following
guaranteed results:
·
Significant increase in water retaining
ability
·
Efficient usage of water
·
Increase in soil permeability and
infiltration rate
·
Decrease in irrigation frequency
·
Increase in plant performance,
particularly in areas prone to drought
·
Reduction of using fertilizers and
pesticides
Farmers will have a sigh of relief even if half of the above points
are consummated, ensuring good monetary benefits under limited or rather same
resources. Chemtex Speciality Limited is an esteemed manufacturer of “Alsta
Hydrogel”, a potassium polyacrylate based super absorbent polymer that meets
the standard requirement of agricultural sectors.