Agri-HAP
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(Subject to soil, temps, humidity and testing)
I. The Principle of Agri-HAP
Agri-HAP, scientific name is agricultural Hyper-Absorbent Polymer (HAP) is a water-absorbing functional polymer material with high performance characteristics. The water-retaining agent itself can absorb hundreds of times to thousands of times its own weight in water, tens to hundreds of times of salt water, and has the function of repeatedly absorbing water. After absorbing water, it expands into a hydrogel, which can slowly release 80% to 95% of thewater held for crop absorption and utilization.
Due to the cross-linking of the molecular structure, the water absorbed by the molecular network cannot be extruded by general physical methods, so it has strong water retention. Since the water-retaining agent is a polymer compound, the molecular chain of this polymer compound is connected indefinitely and the molecules are in a complex three-dimensional network structure, which makes it have a certain degree of cross-linking.
The water-retention agent absorbs and stores water because there are many hydrophilic groups on the three-dimensional network in its structure. When the water retention agent encounters water, it can quickly absorb and store more water to form a hydrogel. This is different from the physical water absorption mechanism of traditional water-absorbing materials such as sponge, cotton, pulp and so on. Therefore, the water absorption of the water-retaining agent is the result of the interaction between the molecular expansion caused by the dissociation and ion repulsion of the polymer electrolyte and the hindered molecular expansion caused by the network structure.
The aggregated state of the polymer has both linear and bulk structures. Due to the slight cross-linking between chains, the linear part can be freely stretched, while the bulk structure keeps it with certain strength and cannot stretch unrestrictedly. Therefore, the water-retaining agent only swells to form a gel in water without dissolving. When the water in the gel is completely released, its water absorption capacity can still be recovered as long as the molecular chain is not damaged.
II. The Nature of Agri-HAP
Water Absorption:
Since there are a lot of hydrophilic groups in the molecules of the water-retaining agent, these hydrophilic groups dissociate when they meet water, so that the water-absorbing agent has a large water absorption capacity and a fast water absorption speed. The water-retaining agent can absorb tens, hundreds or even thousands of times its own weight in deionized water, and its water absorption capacity is related to its composition, structure, particle size, salt ion concentration in water and pH value. The pH value range suitable for the water retention agent is generally 5 to 9. Too high or too low pH value can reduce the water absorption capacity. Most of the water absorbed by the water-retention agent is free water that can be used by plants.
Water Retention:
Due to the three-dimensional network structure of the water-retaining agent, the absorbed water is fixed in the network space, and becomes a hydrogel after absorbing water. The absorbed water evaporates very slowly under natural conditions and it is not easy to segregate under pressure.
Effective Persistence:
The water-retaining agent has the function of repeated water absorption: that is, water absorption – water release – drying — absorb water again. According to indoor measurements, for the water-retaining agent that has been repeatedly absorbing water many times, the general water-absorbing ratio is reduced by 50% to 70% and then tends to be stable. Some varieties even lose the water-absorbing function altogether. The effective sustainability of the water-retaining agent is related to its own nature, soil quality and dosage.
Safety:
The aqueous solution of the water-retaining agent is weakly acidic or weakly alkaline, and is not irritating. A large number of animal experiments and agricultural experiments have proved that the water-retaining agent used in food, medicine and health is safe and non-toxic; the water-retaining agent used in agriculture and forestry will not change the pH [10-12] of the soil.
Thermal Insulation:
The water absorbed by the water-retaining agent is dispersed in the water-retaining agent, and this part of the water can retain part of the heat energy generated by sunlight during the day, thereby adjusting the temperature at night, reducing the temperature difference between day and night in the soil, which is conducive to plant growth.
Nutrient Retention:
The surface molecules of the water-retaining agent have the functions of absorption and ion exchange. The water retaining agent has a strong absorption on K+NH4+and NO3 – thus reducing its loss. In a certain range, with the increase of the amount of water-retaining agent, the loss of nutrients decreases. On the one hand, when the nutrients in the soil are relatively sufficient, it adsorbs nutrients and plays a role in preservation; on the other hand, when the plant growth needs nutrients from the soil, the water-retaining agent supplies the absorbed nutrients to the plants through exchange. It can be seen from this that the supply of nutrients in the soil is more synchronized with the needs of plants for nutrients by applying the soil water-retaining agent. However, it should be noted that some fertilizer elements will make the water-retaining agent lose hydrophilic and reduce the water-retaining capacity. It has been verified by experiments that the water-retaining agent cannot be mixed with fertilizers of divalent metal elements such as zinc, manganese, and magnesium, but can be mixed with boron, molybdenum, potassium and other elements, mixed with nitrogen fertilizer.
Improve Soil Structure:
When the water-retaining agent is applied to the soil, with the regular change of its water absorption expansion and water loss shrinkage, the surrounding soil can be changed from compact to loose, and the pores will increase, so that the soil can be easily circulated to a certain extent. The penetration situation has improved. The water-retaining agent can promote the formation of soil aggregate structure; especially the aggregate structure of 0.5-5 mm particle size in soil can be significantly increased. At the same time, with the increase of soil water-retaining agent content, there are more large aggregates larger than 1 mm in the soil in the cemented state, which plays an important role in stabilizing the soil structure, improving permeability, preventing topsoil from crusting, and reducing soil surface evaporation.
III. Application Mechanism and Effect of Agri-HAP
Improve the Water-Retention Capacity of the Soil
After the application of water-retaining agent to the soil, the saturated water content increased significantly, and increased with the increase of the added amount. In the pot experiment, when the ratio of water-retaining agent to soil was 1:50 and 1:80, after 14 days, the total soil surface evaporation decreased by 164 g and 124.7 g, respectively, and the daily evaporation decreased by 50.8% and 38.94% compared with the control. After 20 days, the total soil surface evaporation decreased by 37.5% and 20.1%, respectively, compared with the control, and the relative soil water content was 2.7 and 1.5 times that of the control, respectively. It shows that after the application of water-retaining agent to the soil, the water-holding capacity of the soil is greatly improved, the evaporation is reduced, and the available water content of the soil is increased.
Improve Soil Fertilizer Retention Capacity
N, P, K fertilizers have a great influence on the water absorption capacity of the water-retention agent. Although this effect reduces the water absorption of the water-retaining agent, it improves the soil’s adsorption of nutrients, reduces the leaching of fertilizers, and improves the soil’s ability to retain fertilizers. Research shows that: Apply 0. After 1% water- retaining agent, the leaching of active ingredients of N, P, and K was reduced by 56%, 51%, and 81%, respectively. And the maximum adsorption capacity of water retaining agent to various fertilizers is urea, ammonium sulphate, potassium chloride, ammonium nitrate, potassium sulfate, ammonium bicarbonate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, superphosphate. Because the water-retaining agent not only has a fertilizer-retaining mechanism such as surface molecular adsorption and ion exchange, but also can retain fertilizer in a “wrapped” way due to its high water absorption; this is an important feature of the water-retaining agent different from the soil conditioner.
Improve the Physical and Chemical Properties of the Soil
First, the water-retaining agent can improve the ability of the soil to form water-stable aggregates. The water-retaining agent has a strong ability to form water-stable aggregates. The results showed that when the ratio of water-retaining agent to soil was above 1:1000, the content of water-stable aggregates increased significantly. The agglomeration effect on light loam soil is more obvious. Taking the dosage of 1:1000 as an example, the water-stable aggregates larger than 0.25 mm in the heavy clay soil increased by 43.3 percentage points and 33.1 percentage points, respectively, compared with the control, while the light loam soil increased by 77.1 and 59.9 percentage points. The water-stable aggregates formed by the water-retaining agent are mainly larger than 1 mm.
Second, improve soil pore properties. The total soil porosity increases with the increase in aggregates larger than 1mm. The research shows that the increased pore volume in heavy clay mainly increases soil aeration pores, while the pores smaller than 5mm decrease to some extent. In the light loam soil, the aeration pores also increased to a certain extent after the application of the water-retaining agent. Due to the increase of macropores, soil aeration was significantly improved, which was nearly 2 times higher than that of the control. After the application of the water-retaining agent, the soil was obviously clay granulated, which changed the pore composition and the three-phase ratio of the soil, resulting in a decrease in the soil compaction and bulk density of the cultivated layer. It shows that the water-retaining agent has obvious effects in preventing soil compaction, improving soil pore characteristics, and regulating soil compaction.
Third, improve soil microstructural characteristics. The use of water-retaining agent can increase soil aggregates and improve soil microstructure. Significant changes were observed in the sand treated with water-retaining agent, and many agglomerates formed by the gel of quartz and hydro mica with water-retaining agent were observed.
Fourth, water-retaining agents can reduce soil temperature. Experiments on sandy loam soil showed that the highest ground temperature in the 6-day water retention treatment was 3°C lower than that of the control, while the lowest ground temperature was 1.5°C higher, and the diurnal range of ground temperature was nearly 5°C lower than that of the control. Other experimental data also showed the same trend. It is proved that the application of water-retaining agent can not only increase the water in the soil, but also reduce the diurnal range of ground temperature.
Fifth, the water-retaining agent can adjust the three-phase distribution of soil solid, liquid and gas. The test results showed that the liquid phase in the soil increased significantly, while the gas phase and solid phase decreased after the soil was irrigated with the water-retaining agent. This is caused by the swelling of the water-retaining agent. However, the excessive reduction of gas phase will bring different degrees of side effects to the growth and development of crops, so the dosage of water-retaining agent should be determined according to soil properties and different crops, enhancing rhizobia activity in leguminous crops.
While improving the soil moisture status, the water-retaining agent also provides a favorable environment for the reproduction of soil microorganisms, and the activity is greatly improved. The water-absorbing pill-coated seeds of leguminous forage are made with water-retaining agent and rhizobia.
For example, the number of root nodules of astragalus adsurgens pall, alfalfa and red bean grass increased by 12.4% on average compared with the control, and the root nodules increased again. It is 25.9% higher, which is beneficial to the absorption of nitrogen by crops and the robustness of plant growth and development. Application effect of water-retaining agent In agriculture, because water-retaining agent can improve the physical properties of soil and enhance its water-retention capacity, it can alleviate the adverse effects of water stress on crops, improve the germination rate of seeds and the survival rate of transplanted plants, and improve the growth rate of legumes. The rhizobia activity of the soil promotes the vegetative growth and reproductive growth process of plants and increases crop yield and income.
IV. Introduction to The Use of Agri-HAP
There are 4 most commonly used methods of using water-retaining agents: dipping roots, dressing seeds, dressing soil, and soilless cultivation. When buying a water-retaining agent, you must choose a product with a long shelf-life after use and a high water absorption rate repeatedly.
The method of dipping the roots is to evenly dip the roots of the plants into a paste-like liquid prepared with a water-retaining agent. The dipping root method is mainly used when transplanting bare roots of vegetables, flowers and seedlings. Generally, one kilogram of water-retaining agent can handle at least 2,000 seedlings. This method can improve the survival rate of planted seedlings and shorten the time of sowing seedlings.
The soil mixing method is to mix the water-retaining agent with the soil in a certain proportion and apply it into the cultivation ditch or cultivation hole. Soil mixing is to make the water-retaining agent evenly distributed around the roots of plants, which is the most widely used method at present, and can be used in sowing, planting seedlings, planting potted flowers, planting trees and raising seedlings in substrates. When raising seedlings in crops such as vegetables and flowers, the water-retaining agent and the seedling base can be mixed and stirred at a ratio of 1:100, put into a seedling tray, and the seeds are poured into it.
Seed dressing and fertilizer dressing: seed dressing with water-retaining agent is also called seed coating, which can form a hydrogel-like protective film on the surface of the seeds to be sown. The water-retaining agent selected is usually of the fine particle type, or called seed dressing powder. Seed dressing can improve the emergence rate, save labor, and facilitate mechanization operation. The specific method is: press the seed dressing powder with water, mix well at a ratio of 1:100 and let it stand for about 3 hours. After all the seeds have become hydrogels, pour in the seeds, stir well, mix well, and put them in a cool place for 4-6 hours. You can directly sow them. Can be air-dried for sowing. The seed dressing ratio of water- retaining agent and seeds is subject to the product instructions, generally around 1:500. Taking corn as an example, each kilogram of water-retaining agent can be mixed with about 500 kilograms of corn seeds.
Soilless culture, the water-retention agent can also be used as soilless culture substrate, also known as crystal mud. Its type is mainly polyacrylamide, the shape has round particles, irregular particles, there are various colors, and its products are colorful. Mainly used in ornamental gardening, the flowers cultivated with crystal mud are suitable for placement in the home or office. The use of crystal mud is very simple. First, choose a transparent glass container for planting flowers, take a certain amount of microcrystalline mud, soak the microcrystalline mud in water for 3-4 hours, and take 2/3 of it after it is fully absorbed. Pour the crystal mud into the glass container, then transplant the flowers with cleaned roots, and finally pour the remaining 1/3 of the crystal mud. Be careful not to have too much water in the container, and avoid direct sunlight when placing the vase.
V. The Specific Use Method and Operation Steps of Agri-HAP
Mixing soil in dry form is generally mixed with 0.05% to 0.1% of the dry soil weight of the ploughing layer, and then poured with water; or let the water-retaining agent absorb enough water to form a saturated gel, and then use 5% of the volume ratio of the saturated gel to the saturated gel 5% to 15% and mix well, it is suitable for the horticultural industry with high economic value. (Mix 5g of dry water retaining agent with 500 ml of water and let it stand for 30 minutes to 3 hours to form a saturated gel).
When planting garden seedlings in spring and autumn, the water-retaining agent can be fully soaked (in a large container) to make it fully absorb water to form a saturated gel, and then mixed with soil for use. If you need to add fertilizer at the same time, you should mix the saturated gel with the soil and then add the fertilizer. The dosage is 40 grams to 80 grams per plant.
Before planting the sapling, you can dig next to it 3 to 5 holes, 20 cm to 30 cm in diameter. Or dig a hole on each side of the interplant tree, with a diameter of 50 cm to 60 cm and a depth of 40 cm to 50 cm. Mix the soil at the bottom of the hole with the water- retaining agent and fertilizer after fully absorbing water, backfill it into the hole and compact it, cover the concave part with a film, and apply 5-10 grams of water-retaining agent to each hole.
Spraying can also be used. If it is applied before the rain, it is necessary to mix the water-retaining agent and fertilizer evenly and then sprinkle it on the surface, and plough the soil 10 cm to 20 cm deep. The application rate of each plant is 10 grams to 150 grams, and the amount per 1,000 ㎡ is 3 kg to 6 kg, which can achieve the effect of water saving and drought resistance.
Before soil preparation, the water-retaining agent can be sprayed on the surface at an application rate of 3 kg to 10 kg per 1,000 ㎡, and ploughed into the soil, and the ploughing depth is preferably 20 cm to 30 cm. After the seedlings are planted, they need to be watered. In addition, acupuncture can also be used for application.
According to different soil properties, such as dry soil, sandy soil, or sandy land, the amount of water retaining agent can be increased to 10-40 kg per 1,000 ㎡. Climate and other factors also affect the soil quality, so the amount of water retaining agent used should be adjusted according to the actual soil conditions.
For seed coating, select a water-retaining agent suitable for seed coating, and make hydrogel according to the ratio of water-retaining agent: water = 1:100 to 1:200. The water-retaining agent should be evenly sprinkled into the water, stirring while spreading, to prevent the surface of the water-retaining agent from quickly absorbing water and sticking into lumps. Then, evenly sprinkle the tree seeds into the hydrogel, stir and mix thoroughly, and let it stand for 4 to 6 hours before removing it, spread out to dry, and can be sown after a film is formed on the surface of the seeds. If there is no precipitation after sowing, adequate irrigation should be given in time.
Dip the roots; this is the easiest way. The specific steps are: put the water-retaining agent with a particle size of more than 50 mesh and water in the water container at a ratio of 0.1% to 0.5%, and a certain proportion of root-stimulating agent can be dissolved in the water. After stirring well for 20 minutes, soak the bare root shoots for 30 seconds before removing. It is best to wrap the roots of forest tree seedlings with agricultural film to facilitate long-distance transportation and shorten the slow seedling period. 1 kg of water-retaining agent can treat 2,000 seedlings, and the survival rate of seedlings can be increased by more than 15%.
When using the seedbed for seeding raising, the water-absorbing agent that absorbs water into a gel can be sprinkled on the soil ridge of the seedlings at an application rate of 4 to 8 grams per square meter, mixed with the upper soil and sown evenly, and then cover the surface with pure soil. When cutting, it is necessary to dip the base of the branch into the gel before cutting, and at the same time, apply the water-retaining agent after water absorption on the seedbed.
If you want to use a culture bag to raise seedlings, you need to mix a gel agent weighing 1 kg and absorbing 300 times of water into a culture medium with a weight of 4 kg. In this way, not only can the seedling emerge in advance, but also the seedling emerges neatly and stoutly and the plant has strong stress resistance.
VI. The Development Trend of Agri-HAP in Agriculture
Water-retaining agents play a very important role in improving soil physical properties, enhancing soil water absorption, water and fertilizer retention capabilities, and promoting crop growth and development. Therefore, water-retaining agents have great development potential and broad application prospects in the development of water-saving agriculture. Water-retaining agent may become another chemical product that plays an important role in crops after chemical fertilizers, pesticides and mulching films. The water-retaining agent is non-toxic, non-irritating, neutral, and has no adverse effect on the quality of crops. It can also be widely used in seed coating and transplanting and dipping roots. It can also be used in the preservation of fruits and vegetables and edible mushroom culture medium.
VII. Company Product List
| Product | Mesh Size | Applications |
| Agri-HAP | 5 – 10 | 1. Mixing Soil 2. Transplanting 3. Deep Ploughing 4. Soilless Cultivation |
| Agri-HAP (Containing Potassium Fertilizer) | 5 – 10 | 1. Mixing Soil 2. Transplanting 3. Deep Ploughing 4. Soilless Cultivation |
| Agri-HAP | 30 – 40 | 1. Drip Irrigation 2. Spraying 3. Seed Coating 4. Dip Root |
| Agri-HAP | 50 – 120 | 1. Drip Irrigation 2. Spraying 3. Seed Coating 4. Dip Root |
VIII. Product Specification
| Certificate of Analysis for Hyper-Absorbent Polymer | |||
| No | Item | Unit | Result |
| 1 | Appearance | – | White granules/powder |
| 2 | Particle Size | mesh | 20 – 80 |
| 3 | Water Sopping Times Ratio (Pure Water) | ml/g | >400 |
| 4 | Water Retention Capacity | ml/l | 900 (90%) |
| 5 | Apparent Density | g/cm3 | 0.56 |
| 6 | Water Content | wt.% | 2 |
| 7 | PH Value | – | 7 |
| 8 | N:P:K | % | 2.7:1.9:21.6 |
| 9 | Product Stability | Year | >=5 |
| 10 | Storage Time (Dry) | Year | >=10 |
| 11 | Storage Temperature | c | 0 – 35 |
VIIII. Summary
Harmless to humans and nature, plants and soil organisms. Non-toxic. 100% biodegradable.
NO groundwater contamination. SAVES water usage. Easy to use, FAST results. Reliable.
So Efficient, So Easy, So Buy Some!