Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a new type of soil that can capture water from the air to keep plants hydrated and release fertilizer in a controlled manner for a steady supply of nutrients.
This innovative smart soil system is built around a special hydrogel material that has shown impressive results in experiments.
The hydrogel-infused soil led to the growth of larger, healthier plants compared to regular soil, all while using less water and fertilizer. Jungjoon Park, a graduate student in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, led the research.
“This new gel technology can reduce the burden on farmers by decreasing the need for frequent irrigation and fertilization,” Park said.
“The technology is also versatile enough to be adopted across a wide range of climates, from arid regions to temperate areas.”
The research was recently published in ACS Materials Letters.
Currently, agriculture accounts for 70% of global freshwater use, and this figure can rise to 95% in some developing countries.
As the global population grows, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization stresses the need to improve irrigation efficiency, adopt water-saving technologies, and promote crops that require less water to ensure sustainable food production and water management.
Traditional farming methods, especially irrigation and fertilizing, face challenges like inefficient water use and environmental degradation.
As climate change worsens and water becomes scarcer, the need for efficient and sustainable irrigation practices becomes critical.
Conventional fertilization methods often lead to excessive nutrient exposure, reducing nutrient uptake efficiency and causing environmental pollution and soil degradation. “The global water scarcity coupled with a growing population has an immediate impact on food security,” said Professor Guihua Yu of materials science in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and Texas Materials Institute. “This new class of hydrogels offers a promising solution to meet the pressing needs of water scarcity and efficient nutrient uptake in modern sustainable agriculture.”
In experiments, plants grown in the hydrogel soil had a 138% increase in stem length compared to those in regular soil. The modified soil also achieved approximately 40% water savings, significantly reducing the need for frequent irrigation and ensuring strong crop development.
This research builds on previous discoveries involving hydrogels that can pull water from the atmosphere, making farming more efficient. It is part of Yu’s long-term mission to expand access to clean water worldwide.
The current work focused on calcium-based fertilizers, but the researchers plan to integrate different types of fertilizers and conduct longer field tests. Joining Yu and Park on the project are graduate students Weixin Guan and Chuxin Lei, who are also part of the materials science and engineering program and Texas Materials Institute.
In summary, this smart soil technology holds great promise for making agriculture more efficient and sustainable, helping to address the pressing challenges of water scarcity and food security.
Source: University of Texas at Austin.
