title: Improvement in the water retention characteristics of sandy loam soil using a newly synthesized poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid)/AlZnFe2O4 superabsorbent hydrogel nanocomposite material.
abstract: The use of some novel and efficient crop nutrient-based superabsorbent hydrogel nanocomposites (SHNCs), is currently becoming increasingly important to improve the crop yield and productivity, due to their water retention properties. In the present study a poly(Acrylamide-co-acrylic acid)/AlZnFe2O4 superabsorbent hydrogel nanocomposite was synthesized and its physical properties characterized using Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), FE-SEM and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. The effects of different levels of SHNC were studied to evaluate the moisture retention properties of sandy loam soil (sand 59%, silt 21%, clay 19%, pH 7.4, EC 1.92 dS/m). The soil amendment with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 w/w% of SHNC enhanced the moisture retention significantly at field capacity compared to the untreated soil. Besides, in a separate experiment, seed germination and seedling growth of wheat was found to be notably improved with the application of SHNC. A delay in wilting of seedlings by 5-8 days was observed for SHNC-amended soil, thereby improving wheat plant growth and establishment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Agriculture Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan. shaukatuafpy@uaf.edu.pk
authors.forename: Shaukat Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Shahid
authors.forename: Ansar Ahmad
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Qidwai
authors.forename: Farooq
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anwar
authors.forename: Inam
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ullah
authors.forename: Umer
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rashid
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000178:Acrylamides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D000383:Agriculture; D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D002712:Chlorides / Q000737:chemistry; D000077215:Clay; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D018525:Germination; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016062:Porosity; D036226:Seedlings / Q000254:growth & development; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development; D014867:Water; D017155:Wettability; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000178:Acrylamides; D000534:Alum Compounds; D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D002712:Chlorides; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D020100:Hydrogels; D012987:Soil; C431184:poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid); D014867:Water; C041524:aluminum sulfate; D012972:Sodium Hydroxide; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D019287:Zinc Sulfate; D000077215:Clay; C024555:ferric chloride