The Effects of Different Levels of a Superabsorbent Polymer and Soil

AbstractAgriculture is the largest consumer of water resources in Iran. One of the best options for increasing the irrigation efficiency and better application of precipitation in arid and semi-arid areas is employing of superabsorbent polymers to soil. Polymers can absorb rain and irrigation water, decrease deep percolation and increase water use efficiency. In order to investigate the effects of different rates of hydrophilic polymer superab A200 on water holding capacity and the porosity of soils with different salinity and textures, three factorial experiments were conducted using a completely randomized design with three replications. The polymers were applied to soils of different textures (sand, loam and clay) at the rates of 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 % w/w and salinity of the soils was adjusted at the levels of initial soil salinity (blank), 4 and 8 dS/m. The application of 0.6% w/w of polymer at the lowest salinity level increased available water content by 2.20 and 1.20 times greater than those of controls in the sandy and loamy soils, respectively. Thus application of polymers to soils especially in the sandy soils may increase water holding capacity, may decrease salinity and may help to improve irrigation projects in arid and semi-arid areas.