Reining In Water-Wasting Irrigators With New Science

Can advances in the laboratory reduce water-scarcity pressure?

Research on superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) may be able to do just that, according to a new study in the journal Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science (JTAS). SAPs, which can be used as a soil conditioner, are “hydrophilic networks that can absorb and retain 1,000 times more water or aqueous solutions than their original size and weight,” the study said.

The study found that SAPs are a promising way to cut down on how much water crops require, per a statement about the study:

[The substances tested in the study store] water and nutrients and release them in light soils, enabling plants to produce grain and increase their biomass under limited irrigation water and nutrient conditions. What's more, their water storage capacity lasts for up to five years. They also improve seed germination rates and root growth while decreasing drought or transplanting stresses in plants. Furthermore, superabsorbent materials could reduce soil contamination by preventing pollutants from passing through the soil and thereby improving the quality of drainage water.

Cost remains a barrier to using SAPs on farms, according to a statement about the study. “From the economic aspect, SAPs are costly in many countries. Thus, subsidies need to be given to farmers to encourage them to use it [so that] using SAPs can be regarded as profitable. If farmers use them in growing plants, it can help save water resources,” the report said.

This research is significant because of the pressure farms place on the water supply. Farms are among the biggest water users in the world. “Estimates vary, but about 70 percent of all the world's freshwater withdrawals go towards irrigation uses,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Water managers are paying close attention to scarcity pressure facing the agricultural industry because it has an impact on the food supply. “Reduced water availability is already impacting food commodity prices,” according to a report by the Pacific Institute.

To read more about drought visit Water Online’s Water Scarcity Solutions Center.