Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region III
Division of Nueva Ecija
BONGABON NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Bongabon, Nueva Ecija

Application Of Hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) In Modern Agriculture To Improve

Soil Water Content

An Investigatory Project

Life Science – Group

Bongabon National High School

Bongabon, Nueva Ecija

By:

Junize Anne A. Alfaro

Samantha Mae C. Batistil

Ian Lorenzo C. Bonsol

Baby Shena Marian M. Caysip

Mikko James S. Gallarde

Jheromn Nash S. San Juan

Ms. Maristel I. Ceña

Project Adviser
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
TITLE PAGE i

TABLE OF CONTENTS ii

LIST OF FIGURES iii

Project Summary 1

Introduction 3

Rationale 3

Significance of the Study 4

Scientific Basis 6

Theoretical Framework 6

Objectives 7

Review of literature 8

Methodology 11

Research Method 11

Research Design 12

Materials and Instrumens 13

Experimental Procedure 13

Statistical Analysis 15

Risk and Safety 15

ii
 List of figures
Figure Page
1 Research Design of the Study 12

iii
 Project Summary

One of the nations with a considerable agricultural output is the Philippines.

Agriculture-related businesses are vital to the survival of many people. Moats and irrigation

systems are frequently used to prevent floods and dry land, making agricultural labor more

effective and convenient. The moat serves a purpose. It takes a long time to create the

structure, and it occasionally breaks down, making the problem worse during typhoons, so

farmers are forced to let the plants dry out.

These treatments can be applied in a variety of ways to protect crops from typhoons

and the dry season. Farmers still haven't found the perfect solution to this problem. This

research aims to create a chemical that can be used to increase soil water content and create

superabsorbent polymers using the present irrigation and moat construction techniques. The

hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) is a potassium-based super absorbent polymer. It has a

good water absorption and holding capacity (hundred times of its own weight), and when it

absorbs enough water, it transforms into water crystals. To summarize, it is a water absorbent

polymer that can both supply water when the soil is dry and can increase the capacity of the

soil when it is flooded. Because of its ability to save and control the delivery of water,

nutrients, and soil moisture for plants in a farm or garden, among other things, SAP has vital

applications in agriculture. Potassium polyacrylate, an Agriculture SAP Super absorbent

polymer, may both prevent irrigation in non-arid areas and guarantee crop growth in arid and

drought-prone areas. Other applications for potassium polyacrylate include horticulture, lawn

maintenance, greening initiatives, SAP with fertilizer, field crops, tree and vegetable

transplants, horticulture, and many more.

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 The main objective of this investigation is to assess the efficacy and appropriateness

of hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) as a chemical water-absorbent.

The efficiency of hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) as an agricultural polymer will

be assessed by the researchers using an experimental methodology.

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 INTRODUCTION

Rationale

The majority of Filipinos depend on agriculture to meet their daily requirements

because it is their primary source of income. Hence, it is still one of the social problems here

in the Philippines. Throughout the years, we have been looking for solutions in aiming the

development of agriculture.

The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable agricultural systems to monsoons and

other extreme weather events, which are expected to create more uncertainty as climate

change affects the Philippines. This season has been challenging for farmers in terms of

gathering productive crops.

Nowadays farmers must continue farming despite of water scarcity and poor irrigation

systems, which causes the water content of the soil to diminish and can also result in the

collapse of the harvested crops. Crops require water in the soil to survive, but the country's

declining water supply has an impact on the amount of water available to crops.

Abiotic stressors on agriculture include (drought, temperature, and salinity) that are

likely to increase as a result of urbanization and land degradation. Increase of food demand

and decreasing water supplies are difficulties for food safety so appropriate management

techniques in such regions must be carried out in order to preserve moisture. Additionally, to

improve the water retaining capacity of the soil. Consequently, the agricultural yield will

likewise be lower compared to typical circumstances. One possible solution to the said

problem are ‘hydrogels’. Hydrophilic gels called hydrogels are cross-linked materials that

absorb massive amounts of water without dissolving the significantly aqueously absorb

solutions. Softness, intelligence, and the ability to store water, hydrogels are unique.

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 Hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) takes in more water than they weigh, and can be

applied evenly onto dry areas to increase the soil's capacity for water absorption. Thus, it is

referred to as Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP). These SAPs were already proficient in

properties established in a number of applications, including sanitary napkins, cement, and

disposable diapers, sensors, medication delivery systems, and agriculture. The most crucial

elements of these use cases include water absorbency and water retention. Considering the

water consumption SAP materials' properties, the opportunities for its use in the agriculture

field has increasingly been investigated to reduce some agricultural problems. SAP hydrogels

may have an impact in soil’s permeability, density, structure, texture, water infiltration and

evaporation rates by way of the soil more specifically, the hydrogels lessen compaction and

frequent irrigation prevent water runoff and erosion, and boost the microbial activity and soil

aeration activities. In dry regions, the sand soil, SAP is used to boost its ability to store water

appears to be one of the most important ways to raise the standard plant life. The SAP

Particles could be considered "the size of water reservoirs "in dirt. Water will be eliminated.

The researchers will use an experimental method to determine the effectiveness of

hydrogel in soil.

Significance of the study

People are always looking for ways to keep their plants alive and prevent them from

drowning during the wet season. To produce crops and supplies of the highest quality, it is

crucial that plants have adequate water storage and consumption.

This study aims to assess potassium polyacrylate's possible effects on plant water

consumption and rainy season survival. This will serve as an initial experiment to see if the

potassium polyacrylate can maintain the plants' survival. The researchers will be able to
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determine the potassium polyacrylate's capacity, functionality, and capability through this

study.

There will be benefits for a lot of people from this research study. The

aforementioned studies and results will undoubtedly be of scientific, environmental, and

economic significance. All of the farmers in Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, were hoping that the

results of this experimental study would be helpful.

This portion of the study tries to explain the significance of the research that could

affect the requirements of agriculture in this advanced era. Aims to specifically assist the

following:

Agricultural sector : Through the use of potassium polyacrylate, which facilitates

agricultural operations, this study seeks to assist the agricultural industry. Farmers won't have

to worry about their plants drowning and drying out during rainy or hot weather thanks to

potassium polyacrylate. It can also improve the quality of plants due to the improvement of

the water absorbed by the plant itself.

Community : The community will benefit from this study by receiving an appropriate supply

of crops even through rainy and sunny seasons for daily use that will be grown in better

quality due to the application of potassium polyacrylate.

Researchers : This study can serve as a related literature to future researchers who want to

expand research related to this study.

Economy : With low class position in mind, this study intends to assist beginning farmers in

improving their plant’s survivability when facing rainy or sunny weather and preventing a

significant loss from their plants.

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Scientific Basis

The best and most affordable water-absorbent substance is Hydrogel (Potassium

Polyacrylate), a potassium-based super absorbent polymer (SAP). Non-toxic, safe, and non-

polluting are some of its qualities. It can contain 100 times its own weight in water, has high

water absorption capabilities, and when sufficiently saturated with water, transforms into

water crystals. The ideal powder SAP super absorbent polymer for agriculture is potassium

polyacrylate, which enables you to continue farming even under challenging circumstances

and yield superior results. Because it won't salt soil or induce soil salinization, potassium

polyacrylate is beneficial for agriculture. Salinization is the process by which the

concentration of salt in an environmental medium, particularly soil, increases. In conclusion,

hydrogel is beneficial for harvest production as well as for reducing the amount of water

needed to hydrate the soil and plants.

Theoretical Framework

Farming is one of the most common occupations in the world, especially in the

Philippines. However, what stops them from getting a prosperous harvest are water scarcity

and climate change. That’s why in the late 1980s, hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) was

applied for agriculture use to increase the soil's ability to store water and to improve water

use efficiency by enhancing its physical characteristics. It has significantly facilitated the

farmer's work because of its high efficiency and low labor intensity. But, no matter how great

it seems, it still has quite a lot of drawbacks, compared to other traditional soil additions, it

costs more per square foot, once applied, it cannot be removed, and having a wrong ratio with

too much heavy soil mix, can cause various diseases in the area. Until now, in our new era,

flooding and drying have been a huge issue for farmers because it is the reason for their loss

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and the reason for their downfall. Since moats and irrigation takes a long time to build, the

utilization of chemicals to be superabsorbent will be necessary considering their potential to

make the farmer's problems resolved and make their job easier since the hard work to build

an irrigation and moat is turned into a simple chemical the hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate).

Objectives of the Study

This study generally aims to test the potential of hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) as

an initial investigation and experiment for the production of good agricultural tools.

Specifically, it intends to do the following:

1. To ameliorate water availability for plants.

2. Evaluate the capability of hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) as a superabsorbent chemical

in terms of :

2.1 0.5 liters

2.2 1 liters

2.3 1.5 liters

3. To ascertain the capability of Potassium Polyacrylate in a dry environment.

4. Determine the usability of hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) after overwatered exposure.

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 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This section presents the related literature from different sources like books, articles,

journals, websites, and thesis used by the researchers in order to establish the contents of this

study. This section is divided into four parts. Part one introduces the basic information about

Hydrogel, part two discusses the benefits of hydrogel in soil, part three explores the different

types of hydrogel and further information, and part four states its behavior and impact on the

environment.

Water scarcity is one of the main effects of inefficient agriculture. Intensive

groundwater pumping for irrigation depletes aquifers and can lead to negative environmental

externalities, causing significant economic impact. Hydrogel is a cross-linked three-

dimensional superabsorbent synthetic polymer that was first developed in 1960 by Wichterle

and Lim. Hydrogels can absorb liquids over five-hundred times its dry weight by the process

called osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of solvent molecules through a semipermeable

membrane in a direction that tends to balance the concentration of solute on the two sides,

from an area of high water potential to one of low water potential. When incorporated in soil

hydrogels can increase water retention in the soil by 45%-70% depending on the amount of

hydrogel mixed in the soil. Hydrogels potentially influence soil permeability, density,

structure, texture, evaporation, and infiltration rates of water through the soils.

Particularly, the hydrogels reduce irrigation frequency and compaction tendency, stop

erosion and water runoff, and increase the soil aeration and microbial activity (Rehim et al.,

2011). Hydrogel works as water storage around the root mass zone, which releases and

absorbs water as needed. By favoring some nutritional elements' absorption, retaining them

firmly, and postponing their breakdown, the hydrogels also function as a controlled release

system. Whenever there is abundant rainfall and irrigation, it can absorb and store a

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significant amount of moisture, then when the rhizosphere zone dries up it releases water

back into the soil. The drought stress effects can be reduced by the application of super

absorbent polymer and improves plant yield and agriculture production stability (Khademet

al., 2010 and Ali et al., 2014). According to some studies the efficacy of hydrogel as a water

retainer in soil depends on the dosage of hydrogel mixed in the soil; different types of soil

require different ratios for it to reach maximum efficacy. Different soils have different water

holding capacity therefore different types of soil will require different concentrations.

There are two types of hydrogel that are suitable and commonly used for agricultural

use, sodium polyacrylate, and potassium polyacrylate. Potassium polyacrylate is the

principal material used in the super absorbent polymer industry and marketed as hydrogel for

agricultural use because of its longer retention and high efficiency in soil with nil toxicity

issues and has potassium that's beneficial to plants. They are prepared by polymerizing

Acrylic acid with a cross linker. Cross-linked polymers can hold water 400 times their own

weight and release 95% of that moisture to growing plants (Johnson, 1984*; Bowman and

Evans, 1991). Microhydrogels and bulk hydrogels are distinct types of hydrogels that can be

distinguished by their size. Microhydrogels comprise individual hydrogels that are much

smaller than those found in bulk hydrogels. Current research on microhydrogels has

concentrated on the nanoscale size since it is well suited to catalysis, magnetism, optics,

electricity, and mechanics due to the surface and quantum effects provided by their small size

and large specific surface area. On the other hand, bulk hydrogels comprise larger hydrogels

with specific sizes and shapes commonly used in food processing and beauty salons.

(Oladosu et al., 2022).

According to studies, hydrogel is susceptible to the negative effects of UV radiation

and degrades into oligomers. Although the polyacrylate may degrade at rates of 10-15%

annually into water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen compounds, it becomes much more
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susceptible to microbial degradation in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The hydrogel

molecules have little potential for bioaccumulation and are too large to be absorbed by plant

tissue. On the other hand, hydrogels made from synthetic materials do not decompose,

however, it does not have any negative effects on the environment since it is non-toxic.

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 METHODOLOGY

The methods and processes used by the researchers to obtain objective and factual data for

this study were detailed in this section of the research.

Research Method

In this study, the researchers used an experimental research method to gather the

needed and necessary data. The experimental method was used to determine the effectiveness

of the hydrogel in the soil's ability to hold more water. This method was also used to interpret

and analyze the results of the study through experimentation.

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Research Design

Figure 1. Flow Diagram of Experimental Study

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Materials and Instruments

The researchers will look for the suitable materials that will be applied for their project, they

will seek to use the materials listed below :

a) 40 grams of hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate)

b) 20 pieces of Sigarilyas (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) seeds

c) Sandy loam soil

d) 2 seedling bags

e) scale

f) handheld shovel

g) water sprinkler

Experimental Procedure

A. Dividing and insertion of soil into two seedling bags.

The soil that will be collected and used for this experiment should be a sandy loam

soil. The height of the pots is 3 inches and the circumference/width is 5 inches. The pots must

be spacious enough for the seeds when they grow into seedlings. Researchers will fill the Pot

A and Pot B with soil in the same exact amount using a lil shovel.

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B. Placement of hydrogel (Potassium Polyacrylate) in the soil.

In both of the pots (Pot A and Pot B), apply and manually blend the hydrogel with the

soil. Put 20 grams of hydrogel in Pot A and 30 grams in Pot B. Use a scale to measure the

amount of hydrogel that will be applied. Using our hands with plastic gloves, we will mix the
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hydrogel and soil in Pot A and Pot B. The water is absorbed accordingly if the soil and

hydrogel is properly mixed.

C. Insertion of Sigarilyas (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) seeds in both pots.

Sigarilyas (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) seeds should be placed in both pots. We

will put or place 10 seeds of Sigarilyas in each of the 2 pots ( Pot A and Pot B). Dig up holes

in/on the soil where the seeds will be placed. After putting the seeds in the holes, slightly

bury/cover it with the soil.

D. Irrigation of Sigarilyas (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) seeds in both pots.

Every 12 hours, give the Sigarilyas seeds 250ml (8.5 ounces) of water to drink.

Beaker can be used to measure the amount of water accurately for the seeds. Sprinkle the

Sigarilyas seeds in Pot A and Pot B with just enough water they need to germinate.

Researchers will set/make/create a reminder every 12 hours so we will not fail to remember

to water the seeds.

E. Exposure of the plant in sunlight.

Expose the plants to sunlight and assess the difference of the two every two days.

Position the 2 pots in an area exposed to sunlight to get the nutrients needed for the seeds to

germinate and grow, provide the seeds/plants with everything they need to grow and thrive.

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F. Observation on both growth qualities.

Jot down notes after observing the growth of the seeds/plants in Pot A and Pot B.

Information in observation should include; the height, the color of the leaves and stem, how

long does it takes for the seeds in both pots to germinate, and in what pot does the

seeds/plants grow faster. Wait for the seeds to become seedlings.

G. Examination of the soil water content

Overwater the plants to test the reliability of the hydrogel in soil. When the seeds have

grown into seedlings, this is where we can test the water absorption of the soil in both pots

(Pot A and Pot B). Flood the plants in both pots with 310ml (10.5 ounces) of water. Let it

soak until the water if fully absorbed. Monitor it every 10 minutes. Pay attention on both of

the pots to see which one of them can absorb water faster.

Statistical Analysis

The use of hydrogel could result in long-term environmental pollution. Most of these

gels are synthetically made, and are from non-biodegradable materials for better absorption

qualities. The chemical components of the gel are released into the soil as it degrades over

time.

Risk and Safety

1. The researchers must constantly don personal safety gear (PPE) for instance, goggles,

gloves, jackets, masks, and eye protection. Additionally, they are not allowed to consume

the chemical. The leftover chemicals and poisonous materials will be placed in sealed

waste containers and sent to a waste treatment facility for proper disposal.
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2. In order to avoid physical contact, the researchers must apply the potassium polyacrylate

with tools like a shovel and beaker.

3. When it is being applied, persons who are allergic to the agricultural chemical are

forbidden to come into contact with.

4. Childrens are prohibited to use or play with the potassium polyacrylate.

5. Grab any chemicals that have accidentally spilled and immediately wash your hands with

soap and water to avoid contamination while eating.

6. The researchers must wash their hands after the experiment, take off any clothing that

has been exposed to chemicals, and refrain from contacting any parts of the participants'

body, notably their hands, arms, noses, and cheeks.

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