Developing cost-effective organic and clay-based moisture retention products for improving farming under dry conditions

WANTFA have been subcontracted by Griffith University for this project.

This project will address an urgent industry issue–persistent regional drought across Australia, by developing cost-effective moisture retention materials. Drought reduces soil water availability and crop nutrient uptake, increases fracturing, crusting and deterioration of soil structure, and causes soil erosion, decreasing crop yield. Currently commercially available water retention materials mainly include surfactants which help reduce soil water repellence and improve soil wetting processes. However, the effectiveness and environmental risk (biotoxicity) of these materials have yet to be assessed and validated. This project aims to develop novel, highly efficient and environmentally friendly moisture retention materials (e.g., activated clay-and organic-based materials, novel cellulose-based moisture-retaining products) from naturally occurring, locally available organic-and clay-based materials, for enhancing soil moisture capture and retention, improving seed germination, crop establishment and farming activity under dry conditions.

This project will build on and be complementary to the existing CRC project–alternative microbial carrier (3.4.001)