Report
Superhydrophobic sand mulches increase agricultural productivity in arid regions
| العنوان: | Superhydrophobic sand mulches increase agricultural productivity in arid regions |
|---|---|
| المؤلفون: | Gallo Jr., Adair, Odokonyero, Kennedy, Mousa, Magdi A. A., Reihmer, Joel, Al-Mashharawi, Samir, Marasco, Ramona, Manalastas, Edelberto, Morton, Mitchell J. L., Daffonchio, Daniele, McCabe, Matthew F., Tester, Mark, Mishra, Himanshu |
| سنة النشر: | 2021 |
| المجموعة: | Physics (Other) |
| مصطلحات موضوعية: | Physics - Applied Physics |
| الوصف: | Excessive evaporative loss of water from the topsoil in arid-land agriculture is compensated via irrigation, which exploits massive freshwater resources. The cumulative effects of decades of unsustainable freshwater consumption in many arid regions are now threatening food-water security. While plastic mulches can reduce evaporation from the topsoil, their cost and non-biodegradability limit their utility. In response, we report on superhydrophobic sand (SHS), a bio-inspired enhancement of common sand with a nanoscale wax coating. When SHS was applied as a 5 mm-thick mulch over the soil, evaporation dramatically reduced and crop yields increased. Multi-year field trials of SHS application with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and wheat (Triticum aestivum) under normal irrigation enhanced yields by 17%-73%. Under brackish water irrigation (5500 ppm NaCl), SHS mulching produced 53%-208% higher fruit yield and grain gains for tomato and barley. Thus, SHS could benefit agriculture and city-greening in arid regions. Comment: 29 pages, 7 figures, + supplementary materials |
| نوع الوثيقة: | Working Paper |
| URL الوصول: | http://arxiv.org/abs/2102.00495 |
| رقم الانضمام: | edsarx.2102.00495 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | arXiv |
| الوصف غير متاح. |