Employees of the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Soil Science at Moscow State University (MSU) have developed polymer formulations that, after being applied to the soil surface, form coatings that can solve several problems: block erosion processes in the soil, retain moisture in the soil and stimulate plant growth, according to an MSU press release.
The formulations were tested in the laboratory, then tested in experimental plots at the MSU Botanical Garden and, finally, successfully tested in the fields of the Chashnikovo Educational and Experimental Soil and Ecological Center.
Samples of different types of soil. The new MSU development helps retain moisture and prevents soil erosion.
Polymer formulations were developed at the Department of High Molecular Compounds of the Faculty of Chemistry of MSU. The work was conducted as part of the scientific and educational school «The Future of the Planet and Global Environmental Change,» which brought together specialists from several MSU faculties to solve environmental problems.