Synthesis of Hydrogels for Fertilizer Control Release

J. CUGGINO; C. ALVAREZ I.

Venecia, Italia

Otro; SUMMER SCHOOL ON GREEN CHEMISTRY; 2008

INCA

In the last years, the interest in the control of the kind and amount of agrochemical that are used in agriculture has incremented noticeably with the main to increase efficiency, reduce costs and the environment contamination. A good strategy to carry out this purpose is the utilization of hydrogels. Hydrogels are a kind of polymeric material constituted by a three dimensional network exhibiting the ability to absorb water and to swell in it. These characteristics allow hydrogels to be used like carriers in controlled agrochemical release systems. Therefore, an agrochemical agent is incorporated into the material and then is released slowly in a controlled form from it, according water penetration. In addition, once bioactive agents have been released, the hydrogel is retained in the soil where it has the ability to hold and retain water thus serving as reservoir and promoting optimal plant growth.  In this work, we have studied the synthesis of new hydrogels for application in fertilizer control release. Polymeric matrices were prepared in solution using water as solvent by free-radical cross-linking polymerization using N-acryloyl-TRIS(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (NAT) as monomer and N,N´-methylenebisacrylamide (BIS) or N, N´-diallyltartradiamide (DAT) as crosslinking agents. High monomers conversion and swelling in water were achieved for all products. In order to evaluate the fertilizer controlled release capacity of this hydrogels systems we will load the matrices with different fertilizers (urea, potassium nitrate, etc.) and then this products will assay the release in a soil simulator medium.