A newly engineered type of soil can capture water to keep plants hydrated and manage controlled release of fertilizer for a constant supply of nutrients.

Underpinning this smart soil system is a hydrogel material developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. In experiments, the hydrogel-infused soil led to the growth of larger, healthier plants, compared to regular soil, all while using less water and fertilizer.

“This new gel technology can reduce the burden on farmers by decreasing the need for frequent irrigation and fertilization,” said Jungjoon Park, a graduate student in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering and who led the research. “The technology is also versatile enough to be adopted across a wide range of climates, from arid regions to temperate areas.”

The research was published in ACS Materials Letters.

In experiments, plants rooted in the hydrogel soil saw a 138 percent increase in stem length compared to a control group in regular soil. And the modified soil can achieve approximately 40 percent water savings. This research builds on previous discoveries involving hydrogels that can pull water from the atmosphere and make farming more efficient.

This work mainly focused on calcium-based fertilizers. The project will continue, and the researchers’ next moves involve integrating different types of fertilizers and longer field tests.