Germination and biomass production as affected by salinity in hydrogel treated sandy soil
Germination and biomass production as affected by salinity in hydrogel treated sandy soil
Maqsood Ahmed and H. Verplancke
ABSTRACT
Synthetic polyacrylamide polymers are water storing, gel
forming soil conditioners, used to improve the water
storing capacities of the drought-prone soils and to
improve the supplies of plant available water, thus
helping in better plant establishment and growth. The
effects of polyacrylamide co-plymers on germination and
growth were investigated in this study. The polymer was
mixed with dune sand at different percentage by weight
and soil-hydrogel mixtures were saturated with saline
solutions prepared by mixing NaCl at different
proportions in deionized water after sowing seeds of
three different species. Germination and growth were
recorded. Both growth parameters responded positively to
the addition of polymer, and negatively to the salt
concentration in saturating solutions. A variation was
also observed between the species.
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June 1994
Vol. 44, Iss. 2
