via University of Texas at Austin
A new type of soil created by engineers at The University of Texas at Austin can pull water from the air and distribute it to plants, potentially expanding the map of farmable land around the globe to previously inhospitable places and reducing water use in agriculture at a time of growing droughts.
As published in ACS Materials Letters, the team’s atmospheric water irrigation system uses super-moisture-absorbent gels to capture water from the air. When the soil is heated to a certain temperature, the gels release the water, making it available to plants. When the soil distributes water, some of it goes back into the air, increasing humidity and making it easier to continue the harvesting cycle.
“Enabling free-standing agriculture in areas where it’s hard to build up irrigation and power systems is crucial to liberating crop farming from the complex water supply chain as resources become increasingly scarce,” said Guihua Yu, associate professor of materials science in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Each gram of soil can extract approximately 3-4 grams of water. Depending on the crops, approximately 0.1 to 1 kilogram of the soil can provide enough water to irrigate about a square meter of farmland.
The gels in the soil pull water out of the air during cooler, more humid periods at night. Solar heat during the day activates the water-containing gels to release their contents into soil.
The team ran experiments on the roof of the Cockrell School’s Engineering Teaching Center building at UT Austin to test the soil. They found that the hydrogel soil was able to retain water better than sandy soils found in dry areas, and it needed far less water to grow plants.
During a four-week experiment, the team found that its soil retained approximately 40% of the water quantity it started with. In contrast, the sandy soil had only 20% of its water left after just one week.
In another experiment, the team planted radishes in both types of soil. The radishes in the hydrogel soil all survived a 14-day period without any irrigation beyond an initial round to make sure the plants took hold. Radishes in the sandy soil were irrigated several times during the first four days of the experiment. None of the radishes in the sandy soil survived more than two days after the initial irrigation period.
“Most soil is good enough to support the growth of plants,” said Fei Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher in Yu’s research group who led the study with Xingyi Zhou and Panpan Zhang. “It’s the water that is the main limitation, so that is why we wanted to develop a soil that can harvest water from the ambient air.”
The water-harvesting soil is the first big application of technology that Yu’s group has been working on for more than two years. Last year, the team developed the capability to use gel-polymer hybrid materials that work like “super sponges,” extracting large amounts of water from the ambient air, cleaning it and quickly releasing it using solar energy.
The researchers envision several other applications of the technology. It could potentially be used for cooling solar panels and data centers. It could expand access to drinking water, either through individual systems for households or larger systems for big groups such as workers or soldiers.
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Self-watering soil
- Best patio container plants: 8 expert-approved picks to brighten your space instantly
Elevate your seating area with these patio container plants, including beautiful blooms, compact trees, and fabulous ferns ...
- How to Make an Easy-to-Grow Moss Terrarium in 7 Simple Steps
Plant the moss. Place the moss where you want it and gently push it into the substrate. When placing pieces of moss along the outside of the glass vessel, tuck the unsightly rhizoids (the roots of the ...
- This Supercharged Houseplant Cleans Air as Well as 30 Normal Plants
Neoplants uses microbiome science to turn an ordinary plant into an air-purifying machine. Here's how it works.
- This Plant-Powered Purification System Can Remove Toxins From Air By Up to 30 Times the Normal Rate
Would you believe this new plant system can purify your air at home more effectively than a normal plant? Filtering the air is now easier with Neoplant's technology.
- Make Your Space Greener With a Self-Sustaining Terrarium
A recent trend on TikTok showcases people’s self-sustaining terrariums; essentially sealed, independent ecosystems. Some of these terrariums have been sealed for decades and contain all the elements ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Self-watering soil
[google_news title=”” keyword=”self-watering soil” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Hydrogel soil
- soil moisture sensor
These so-called IoUT devices are extremely useful when it comes to monitoring underground structures, but communication via radiowaves is obviously impacted when soil is in the way. Although there ...
- Groundbreaking hydrogel can remove microplastics from water
If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs. A newly developed hydrogel can safely remove microplastics from water, a study reveals.
- Top 8 Best Glitter Gel Pens in 2024
The popularity of glitter gel pens as a writing instrument has grown, bringing a sparkle to your creations. They are ideal for students, creative artists, or just anyone with a love for ...
- Ready to start your spring planting? 5 things to know about your garden soil first
When my wife and I moved into our Louisville Highlands house 27 years ago, the biggest challenge (aside from the bad plumbing, 1950s-era wiring, and drafty, old windows) was the soil. Other than ...
- Soil Types News
Genes Identified That Allow Bacteria to Thrive Despite Toxic Heavy Metal in Soil Mar. 18, 2024 — Some soil bacteria can acquire sets of genes that enable them to pump the heavy metal nickel out ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Hydrogel soil
[google_news title=”” keyword=”hydrogel soil” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]