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Effect of soluble salts on water absorption by gel‐forming soil conditioners
Author(s) -
Johnson Michael S.
Publication year - 1984
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.2740351004
Subject(s) - conditioners , salt (chemistry) , absorption of water , soil water , soil conditioner , arid , irrigation , chemistry , polymer , starch , absorption (acoustics) , environmental chemistry , environmental science , agronomy , organic chemistry , materials science , geology , soil science , polymer science , biology , composite material , paleontology
Abstract The use of gel‐forming synthetic polymers as aids to water retention in sandy soils is an important development to assist plant growth in arid regions. However, the water storage properties of these soil conditioners are significantly affected by the nature and concentrations of dissolved salts in irrigation waters. Moreover, the salt response of products in the three main chemical families—starch copolymers, polyvinylalcohols and polyacrylamides—is very different, emphasising the importance of detailed assays in selecting a product for a particular set of environmental conditions.