ARS | Publication request: SLAKING ANALYSIS OF AGGREGATES TREATED WITH ANIONIC POLYACRYLAMIDES OF DIFFERENT MOLECULAR CONFIGURATIONS

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Meetings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: September 30, 1998
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Soil crusting on agricultural fields is a severe problem. Much research has been conducted using polyacrylamide (PAM) to control crusting, yet little has been done to determine which molecular configuration is most effective. We hypothesized that PAM would perform differently on various soils with varying optimum configurations and effectiveness. The PAMs studied included combinations of three molecular weights (6, 12, and 18 Mg mol-1) and three charge densities (20, 30, and 40 percent hydrolysis). The 3 soils used in this study varied in both texture and mineralogy. A slaking index was used to compare the treatments. Treated samples were run using the Griffith fall-velocity tube. Heiden clay showed very little response to PAM treatments; Cecil sandy loam also responded poorly. Fincastle silt loam, however, showed significant response to PAM, with nearly all treatments performing better than the control. Different PAM formulations provide differing degrees of soil protection that varies between soils.