PARTICULATE COMPOSITIONS USEFUL AS PLANT GROWING MEDIA ADDITIVES

摘要

Superabsorbent gel compositions useful as plant growing media additives are prepared from a copolymer of acrylamide and acrylic acid salt in a molar ratio of 70:30 to 95:5, cross-linked such that less than 30% by weight of the dry polymer is water-soluble and the gel can absorb releasably at least 15 times its own weight of water. The gel composition is therefore tailored to the needs of an agricultural/horticultural context because it has long-term stability in natural soil, low solubility that would otherwise lead to poor soil properties, and good water absorbency. Preferred gel compositions in foam form are described.