How can a water soluble anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) reduce soil erosion?

Application of water-soluble anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) to the soil. Reduce soil erosion by water or wind. Improve soil surface infiltration rate and minimize soil crusting to allow for uniform plant growth. Irrigated lands susceptible to irrigation-induced erosion where the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) of irrigation water is less than 15.

How effective is Pam for erosion control?

PAM used for erosion control is a large (12–15 Mg mol −1) water‐soluble (non‐cross‐linked) anionic molecule, containing <0.05% acrylamide monomer. In a series of field studies, PAM eliminated 80–99% (94% avg.) of sediment in runoff from furrow irrigation, with a 15–50% infiltration increase compared to controls on medium to fine‐textured soils.

Does water soluble Pam reduce water infiltration?

Lentz (2003) conducted a systematic soil column and miniflume study that quantified the infiltration‐inhibiting effect of water‐soluble PAM treatments for different soils under ponded and flow conditions. Surface applications of 250‐ to 1000‐ppm PAM solutions to silt loam and clay loam soil reduced water infiltration 50–90%.

What is ionic polyacrylamide (PAM)?

Anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) has been sold since 1995 to reduce irrigation‐induced erosion and enhance infiltration.

Does Pam improve soil stability?

Their work with Worsham sandy loam (Typic Ochraquults) and Cecil sandy clay (Typic Hapludults), soils with predominately 1:1 clay minerals, concluded that PAM penetrated and stabilized the interiors of even relatively large aggregates (6–8 mm) and increased the percentage of large stable aggregates.

What are linear-chained PAMs used for in soil stabilization?

The linear-chained PAMs are usually employed in soil stabilization. The amount of the surface charge of PAMs can be made to vary through hydrolysis. Molecular weight varies depending on the number of component monomers.