Agricultural Uses for Hygroscopic Plastic Beads

Hygroscopic plastic beads help make hydroponic farming possible.

Hygroscopic plastic beads are polymer beads with a slightly porous surface. The tiny pores in the surface of the beads allow the beads to be hydrated and then to disperse the liquid over a period of weeks or months. Scientists have used this technology for developments in a variety of industries, but it is especially helpful in the agricultural industry. Hygroscopic plastic beads make farming possible in areas previously considered too dry or barren, and they contribute to the success of hydroponic farming.

Hydrating Farm Soil

Mixing hygroscopic beads with farm soil saves water and improves crops.

Hygroscopic plastic beads absorb water and then slowly disperse the water over several weeks. This quality makes them ideal for watering plants and crops because the plants still receive water even under drought conditions. When mixed with soil, hygroscopic plastic beads last from five to seven years. Farmers find that they don't have to water as often because their crops receive a continuous supply of water from the beads.

Fertilizing

Hygroscopic fertilizers help to produce strong, healthy plants.

Because hygroscopic beads can disperse liquid over the course of several weeks or months, fertilizer manufacturers have harnessed this technology for creating slow-release fertilizers. The advantage of a slow-release fertilizer is that plants receive nutrients in regular small doses, encouraging continuous growth as opposed to one-time doses of fertilizer that can damage plants with too much growth at once. Manufacturers produce this fertilizer by enclosing nitrogen, phosphorus and potash inside a porous polymer coating.

Hydroponic Farming

Vegetables can be grown without soil using hygroscopic beads.

Hydroponics, or "water culture," is growing plants with aerated water instead of with soil. Plant roots need both water and air to survive, so hydroponic farmers aerate water with air pumps, with thin films of water or by using hygroscopic beads. Hydroponic farming is ideal in areas with severe weather or poor soil because it can be done in greenhouses without soil. Hygroscopic beads keep plants hydrated and can contain essential nutrients that would normally be found in soil.

Soil Amending

Hygroscopic beads can improve soil conditions.

Some areas of the world have very poor soil, but people must farm these areas if they are to survive. Hygroscopic plastic beads can turn sandy clay soils into silty clay or loam soils, which are much more conducive to growing crops. Since hygroscopic beads reduce the need for over watering, soil erosion and nutrient depletion become smaller problems, and soils are better able to retain their structure and nutrients. Hygroscopic beads can also be filled with fertilizers or other chemicals to improve the soil.

References

• Hill Gardens of Maine; Understanding Controlled-Release Fertilizers; Fred Davis; Aug. 2007
• AICRP: A Look into Use of Plastics in Agriculture; M. Datta; 2004
• Iranian Polymer Journal; Superabsorbent Polymer Materials; Mohammad J. Zohuriaan-Mehr and Kourosh Kabiri; June 2008
• Texas A&M University: Build a Hydroponic Culture System