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A comparison of the effectiveness of organic polymers as soil anti‐crusting agents
Author(s) -
Ronald Page E.,
Quick Martin J.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740300204
Subject(s) - penetrometer , guar gum , crust , polymer , chemistry , soil crust , soil science , environmental science , geology , soil water , food science , organic chemistry , geochemistry
Using a soil known to form a crust in the field in certain weather circumstances, a number of organic polymers were tested for their soil conditioning properties. A penetrometer method was used to measure the strength of the crust formed under standard laboratory conditions of simulated rain and sunshine. The substances were compared with an established soil conditioner, poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) of molecular weight 80 000. The crust strength of Bridgnorth soil sprayed with 54 kg ha −1 of this PVA as a 1% solution was 21% of that of untreated soil. PVA with a molecular weight of 22 000 applied at the same rate actually increased crust strength to 142%; at 216 kg ha −1 it reduced the strength to 46%. A hydroxyethylcellulose, Natrosol 250 HHR, at 54 kg ha −1 reduced crust strength to 18%. Certain polyacrylamides were almost as effective, but the solutions were viscous and therefore difficult to apply. The carboxymethylcellulose preparations tested were poor soil conditioners; the best at 54 kg ha −1 reduced crust strength only to 43%; the effect was not simply a function of molecular weight. Guar gum, the only natural product tested, had little anti‐crusting action, and two of its hydroxyethyl derivatives also performed poorly.