EN Physical attributes of a Quartzarenic Neosol treated with hydrogel

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different doses of hydrogel on the physical attributes of sandy-textured soil in a semi-arid region. To this end, sandy-textured soil was mixed with hydrated hydrogel in a two-liter vase in the laboratory under normal temperature conditions between 25 and 27 °C. The experiment was conducted in randomized blocks with five doses of hydrogel (0.0, 0.6, 1.2, 2.4, and 4.8 g L^-1) with four replications over nine weeks. The polymer used was a commercial hydrogel based on cross-linked potassium polyacrylate. At the end of the experiment, soil density, particle density, total soil porosity, soil granulometric analysis, and water-dispersed clay were analyzed after nine weeks of applying the hydrogel doses to the soil. The results showed that the hydrogel altered the physical attributes of the soil, such as soil density and total porosity. The sand, silt, and clay fractions were impacted as well as the degree of flocculation. Therefore, there is evidence that the application of hydrogel to sandy soils contributes to an improvement in their physical attributes, especially in soil density, total porosity, and degree of flocculation of these soils, thus favoring a better permeability of agricultural soils and contributing to gas exchange occurring more efficiently in the soil system.

Keywords: hydrogel, water storage, soil physical quality, semi-arid.