The UK Agri-Tech Centre has announced the launch of the ‘Greener future with GelPonic soil improver: Restoring soil fertility’ project, a pioneering initiative aiming to develop a circular hydrogel-based soil improver.
This collaborative project brings together the expertise of the UK Agri-Tech Centre and AEH Innovative Hydrogel Ltd, with key support from the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) and Stockbridge Technology Centre (STC).
Dr Aurélie Bovi, innovation lead for controlled environment agriculture at the UK Agri-Tech Centre suggests soil improvers will play an increasing role in enhancing soil health and fertility.
“These products play a crucial role in enhancing soil quality by improving soil structure, increasing nutrient levels, enhancing water retention, stimulating microbial activity, regulating pH levels, preventing erosion, and mitigating the impact of compaction,” says Dr Bovi.
“The outcome is a healthier more fertile soil environment that supports robust plant growth and promotes ecological balance.”
Dr Beenish Siddique, founder and CEO of AEH Innovative Hydrogel Ltd, notes that the increasing demand for sustainable agricultural practices has driven interest in hydrogel-based soil improvers.
“This demand is driven primarily by their ability to enhance water management and reduce fertiliser usage,” she says.
In response to this rising demand, the ‘Greener future with GelPonic soil improver: Restoring soil fertility’ project will focus on developing and showcasing an innovative circular hydrogel-based soil improver.
Dr Siddique explains: “Our goal is to adopt a circular economy approach by transforming rejects and waste products from our hydrogel sheet and plug production into a sustainable soil improver.
“Our products are made of natural polymers and biochar, a known soil conditioner, and have high water-retention properties,” she adds.
“This project will allow us to optimise hydrogel compositions with customised nutrient profiles and conduct commercial-standard trials in greenhouses to assess their effectiveness at reducing watering needs and enhancing crop germination and growth.”
Early trials have produced promising results.
“We’ve observed a 30% reduction in water usage while achieving higher crop yields and improved survival rates and healthier tree saplings during prolonged heatwave conditions” reports Dr. Siddique.
Dr. Bovi adds: “As climate conditions become increasingly unpredictable, technologies that enable crop establishment and growth with reduced resource inputs will be crucial.
“AEH’s hydrogel-based soil improver, created from the byproducts of hydrogel production, offers a non-synthetic, customisable solution that could help restore soil health and sequester carbon.
“If successful, this technology has the potential to make a substantial impact,” she concludes.
This project is funded by Defra and Innovate UK, through the Farming Innovation Programme: Transforming Food Production Follow-on competition and results will be available in spring 2025.
