Water gel - Has Anyone else used it???

[Lanietheberner]

We tried using this product (polyacrylamide) in our last 2 cycles and found that we had an average increase in weight of 27% (the first we had a 25% better yield and the second we had a 30% better yield). This is the best yield improver that we have found and it's really reasonible. 10 pounds is in the $35-40 range and you use 1 1/2 cups for a 1 1/2cu ft bag

The parameters for the 2 "experiments" were - 2 sets of 40 "kids" in the same room, same potting mix, same size pots, same nutrients with the same lighting and room conditions (height, spacing, airflow).

The biggest secondary benefit was that we only had to water the treated section once every 7 days:) , verses every other day with the "normal" kids.

This did mean that we had to re-adjust our nutrient and watering schedule as we are using the fox farm schedule and your supposed to just use plain water every other watering. We readjusted this schedule and just fertalized when the schedule dictated.

It's a real nice product, and it's biodegradeable, so I give it 2 thumbs up!!!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[doco]

Did a search and found this at Wikipedia: Polyacrylamide is an acrylate polymer formed from acrylamide subunits that is readily cross-linked. Acrylamide needs to be handled using Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) to avoid poisoning since it is a neurotoxin. Polyacrylamide is not toxic, but un-polymerized acrylamide can be present in the polymerized acrylamide. Therefore it is recommended to handle it with caution.


Hmmm.....

Whats the brand name of the product you are using?

[UnitedParcelSecrets]

I'd fear smoking that!

[Lanietheberner]

Hi guys, forgot to mention that this is a soil additive that is used to retain water in the soil. It is not a foliar applied material and sprayed onto the plant itself!!!

The data below is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Polyacrylamide - Water gel

Polyacrylamide is an acrylate polymer formed from acrylamide subunits that is readily cross-linked.

Un-polymerized Acrylamide needs to be handled using Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) to avoid poisoning since it is a neurotoxin. When polymerized it become a neutral substance with no know health effects.

(Much like pistastcho nuts are poisoinus before processing!!!)

Polyacrylamide is not toxic, but un-polymerized acrylamide can be present in the polymerized acrylamide. It is highly water-absorbent, forming a soft gel used in such applications as polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and in manufacturing soft contact lenses. It is also used as a thickener and suspending agent.

It has also been advertised as a soil conditioner called Krilium by Monsanto in the 1950s and today "MP", which is stated to be a "unique formulation of PAM (water-soluble polyacrylamide)".

MSDS Data

Section 3 - Hazards Identification
EMERGENCY OVERVIEW
Appearance: Clear viscous liquid.
Caution! May cause eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation.
Target Organs: None known.


Potential Health Effects
Eye: May cause eye irritation.
Skin: May cause skin irritation.
Ingestion: May cause irritation of the digestive tract.
Inhalation: May cause respiratory tract irritation.
Chronic: Chronic inhalation and ingestion may cause effects similar to those of acute inhalation and ingestion.

I'm by no means telling people that they should use this product, I'm just trying to see if there are others and what their results were when using this product. The MSDS does state that people need to use care when working with this material - I gues much like when you use your akali amd acid fertalizers.

Any other thoughts???

[Lanietheberner]

We're using brand of water gel called Water-Keep in the fine granulation. After we use it, you cannot find the individual gel particles as they are less than the diameter of a human hair, but after we empty the 5 gal buckets there is some very small gel clumps through-out the soil. The plants seem to really work well with this additive.

[doco]

Lanie, it sounds intriquing but I'm a little nervous about it. I'll do some more checking into it but the possible neurotoxin aspect of Un-polymerized Acrylamide is a big concern.

[Lanietheberner]

I checked into this with Several professors at Cal Poly State University San Luis Obispo Crop Science and Horticulture Department (as I used to be in the Ag. Department there...) and they stated that in 1991 a study was conducted by Cal Poly for the world health organization as they were looking for a soil additive that would allow for specific moisture sensative crops, to be sucessfully grown in arid conditions.

The proponderance of polyacrylate (water gel) and unpolymerized acrylate (a neurotoxin) happeing has never been able to be detected. The professor that was incharge of this study and stated that chemically it might be possible to synthizie this in a lab, but the department, has never been able to reproduce this occurance in a lab, or a real-life situation.

Water gel (Polyacrylate) water found to be a sucessful alternative, but it was found to be cost ineffective to this organization (they were looking for somthing that could cheaply be used).

Just some more info, from people who know their stuff. I was just checking to see if anyone else has used this product???