Eco Factor: Super-absorbent polymers to help plants grow in 80 percent less water.
Israel’s Exotech Bio Solutions have developed naturally-derived super-absorbent polymers (SAPs) that can treat obesity without surgery and can help plants grow in less water. While most super-absorbent materials developed till date are acrylic byproducts of oil, Exotech’s SAPs are derived from natural materials and chemicals, using a technology based on water.
Scientists at Israel’s Volcani Institute are testing SAP-filled reservoirs that sit under the soil and provides plant roots with precisely the amount of water that they require. The present top-down system of drip irrigation is wasteful as a major percentage of water never reaches the roots of the plant.
SAP-filled reservoirs can provide the precise quantity of water to the plant’s roots, thereby reducing water consumption by as much as 80 percent. The SAP itself degrades into ammonia, which is a natural fertilizer. The developers claim that after several agricultural cycles, it would be possible to stop using chemical fertilizers altogether.
Exotech is also trying to develop a pill based on these SAPs, which can treat obesity without any surgery. The pill expands in the stomach, causing a feeling of fullness and is eliminated after several hours.
Via: Israel 21C
