Siberian cryogel can prevent soil erosion
Scientists from Tomsk University (Siberia, Russia) have developed a new technology to save the soil from erosion by using a special polymer substance – a cryogel.
Due to soil erosion and desertification of fertile lands, we lose millions of hectares of agricultural land every year. Climate change and unsustainable human activities accelerate this process.
The Tomsk scientists chose Khakassia, the agricultural centre of Southern Siberia, for their experiments. Because of the dry and windy climate, soil here is exposed to severe weathering – wind erosion. As estimated by the scientists from Tomsk State University, 150 tons of fertile soil per square kilometer are destroyed in Khakassia every year.
"Forest belts have always been a way to protect agricultural fields in the region, — says Alexander Samoylov, one of the developers of the new technology of the Biological Institute, Tomsk State University. — However, forest belts fell into severe disrepair after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In conditions of water shortage, forest belts can be rapidly restored by using the cryogel".
The cryogel is a polymer substance developed by Siberian scientists (Institute of Petroleum Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk). Freeze-thaw cycles improve its properties making it more durable and resilient, as well as improving its adherence to the soil. The cryogel is resistant to water, microorganisms and vibrations. It is designed to improve the condition of dams, oil wells, railroads and highways in low-temperature environments.
Experts from the Biological Institute, Tomsk State University, used a cryogel based on a chemically inert and biologically neutral polymer. When applied to the top layer of the soil, the cryogel binds particles of the top fertile layer into the matrix. As a result of the treatment, the scientists produced a structure strong enough to withstand erosion without inhibiting the growth of plants.
In May 2015, the Tomsk scientists treated several areas prone to erosion with the cryogel. They seeded the land with a grass mix and planted cedar trees. A few months later, the biologists evaluated the results. According to Oleg Merzlyakov, expert at the Biological Institute at the Tomsk State University, the structure and the microbiological condition of the soil in the treated areas, and the ability of all plant species to take root in this soil improved significantly.
In the future, the cryogel-based technology can be used for landscaping northern regions and strengthening the soil prone to water erosion, e.g. for preventing a collapse of land along the shore of water bodies in all low-temperature regions.
Artyom Baykaltsev, tel. +34 692 93 94 45, e-mail: tomskuni@mail.tsu.ru
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