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What is Solid Rain?

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Methods to help irrigate arid areas and make them productive all year round.

farming

Methods to help irrigate arid areas and make them productive all year round.

Faced with the problems of climate change, which affects periods of rain and droughts in agricultural areas; The use of Potassium Acrylate has been implemented. This biodegradable polymer is placed around the base of the plants, functioning as a kind of sponge for rainwater, storing it for up to 40 days.

A Mexican invention for the world ...

It has been baptized as Solid rain and it was the Mexican engineer Sergio Rico Velasco who came up with this creative and healthy solution for farmers.

Just 10 grams of this plastic polymer can absorb up to a liter of water.

Solid rain is biodegradable, non-toxic and has a useful life of up to 8 years, because once the plant absorbs its total water content and returns to its original powdered state in the root zone of the plant, just to reactivate in the next rainy season, in a constant cycle.

This biodegradable potassium acrylate polymer otherwise it allows to extend the sowing periods up to 40 days, which is the time in which it conserves the water without losing it.

This helps the plants because they can be hydrated without having to wait for rain or watering, improving their development; furthermore, it helps to give longer life to the wells and aquifers that are not so demanding when using this artificial water tank.

The method of use is extremely simple: a handful of potadium acrylate is buried in the earth at the height of the root, allowing the roots to reach the water reservoir once the polymer acquires its water reserve, becomes a gel and use it according to your needs.

This technique is otherwise harmless for the soil and the plant itself, since it does not affect the pH of the soil or the constitution of vegetables or fruits.

Barely 25 kilos of product are required per hectare of crop

Another of its benefits is its storage, as farmers can keep it in sacks and use it gradually. It also reduces the cost of using hoses and other irrigation technologies, maximizing the farmer's benefits.

In turn, its use has benefits in the cost of irrigation of crops in areas in which the water reserves are distant or very deep in the earth. Once the polymer receives the water, it can increase by absorbing the water about 200 times its size without losing the absorbed liquid. To this end, it can even be stored in sacks for later use in the dry season.

For farmers, having an additional water reserve represents extending the sowing period for a longer time during the year and, as we mentioned, a significant cost reduction.

From an ecological point of view, it is a more sustainable way of avoiding using water sources, depleting them or causing alterations to the ecosystems surrounding the harvesting areas. Remember that the amount of fresh water on the planet it is limited, despite the fact that 3/4 of the surface contains this liquid; so we must preserve it.

The global demand for food in the face of a growing population has pushed countries like China to gain space from desert areas such as the Gobi desert, and techniques like this are ideal for gaining space in arid areas and planting fruit trees in an effort to preserve water resources while feeding man.

Frequently asked questions from our readers:

The so-called Solid Rain is a biodegradable potassium acrylate polymer which is used for agriculture. This polymer absorbs water, it is placed around the stem of the crop, and it slowly absorbs the water from it, allowing the sowing periods to be extended for up to 40 days, which is the time in which it conserves water without losing it. Read more here: https://www.equilibriumx.com/ecoturismo-y-conservacion/que-es-la-lluvia-solida
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Last modified: March 21, 2024