The Effect of Different Levels of Superabsorbent A300 in Some Physics and Hydraulic Properties of a Silty Loam Soil

Abstract

The need for water storage is steadily growing because of increasing water demands due to growing population in arid and semiarid areas such as Iran where droughts occur in succession. The use of superabsorbent polymer materials in agriculture is one of the considered approaches to improve the soil structure in semi- heavy and heavy soils. In this study, the use of superabsorbent A300 and its effects on saturated hydraulic conductivity, available water content, porosity and moisture characteristic curve was evaluated in silty loam soil. A completely randomized design with four levels (zero, 1, 2, 3 g/kg soil) and three treatments was used for statistical analysisin research field of Shahid Chamran university. The results show that increase 1.68 saturated hydraulic conductivity soil in 0.3 weight precent to the control. The increase of porosity for treatments0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 weight percent of controls versus 8.03, 9.76 and 22.11 respectively. Statistical indicators applied in RETC software shows the Van Genuchten model (m=1-1/n) has the best simulation accuracy by comparing the observed and predicted soil moisture values.

Keywords

• polymer superabsorbent
• porosity
• saturated hydraulic conductivity
• available water
• soil moisture retention curve