What is a wetting agent?
Some soils and growing media are naturally ‘hydrophobic’, which means they repel rather than absorb water. If soil doesn’t retain enough water, plants suffer and yields are reduced. A wetting agent is a product that helps to overcome soil’s hydrophobicity.
The active ingredient of a wetting agent is called ‘surfactant’ and works in the same way as a detergent: it reduces surface tension of water. Based on the length of their molecules, surfactants exhibit different characteristics which enable to formulate wetting agents for particular purposes. For example, penetrant wetting agents ensure water percolates down the soil profile, conservation wetting agents help to retain water in the substrate. However most wetting agents are designed with longer chain surfactant molecules that slowly disintegrate in the soil to reduce repellency and improve moisture availability over a longer period.
ICL’s advanced wetting agents
ICL has dedicated time and efforts to develop the most advanced wetting agents. Its products belong to the latest generation and are specifically designed for the use in agriculture, ornamental horticulture and turf. H2Gro® is a wetting agent developed specifically for the use in hornamental crops. It is mixed into potting substrates to improve water management in pots and containers. If a substrate is moist enough, plant can use 100% of the pot volume for its growth. By good water management without any peaks and deficiencies, growers can save water as well as enhance the effectivity of applied plant nutrition.
Benefits of applying wetting agents
- Improved water retention
- Better nutrient uptake
- Reduced soil erosion and runoff of water/nutrients
- Improved plant growth and disease resistance
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A special blend of soil surfactants that helps irrigation water go further.
Here’s the technical bit: H2Coco® reduces water’s surface tension, improving its ability to move both vertically and laterally. Your substrate and soil will become saturated faster thanks to our unique, state-of-the-art water conservation technology: its active ingredients are more concentrated than in any other wetting agents available. You’ll see less runoff, especially initially, and its effect isn’t limited to the surface – it goes through the substrate to be absorbed better. It also prevents water repellent deposits from hardening. Apply H2Coco when preparing growing media using coir fiber.
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Hydraflo is a highly effective dual-action granular wetting agent
A wetting agent, also called surfactant, increases the adsorption of water into media and soil. Wetting agents achieve this by reducing the surface tension of water, which allows it to spread more easily. The main purpose of a wetting agent is to increase the absorption and spread of water, which can dramatically improve the effectiveness of irrigation applications and rainfall. In ornamental plants and turf, the addition of a wetting agent to either the irrigation water or to the media has several tangible benefits. Wetting agents can: Increase plant and turf uniformity by improving plant access to moisture; Improve plant health; Improve the efficiency of irrigation applications and even reduce the amount of irrigation required; Assist with drainage in waterlogged soils; Reduce the need to hand water dry spots in turf. Extensive research has shown that potted nursery plants grow faster and are of higher quality when wetting agents are used. Trials in turf have shown improvements in colour and overall quality and uniformity, even with lower irrigation rates. Ionic v Non-ionic wetting agents Hydraflo L and Hydraflo 2 are both non-ionic wetting agents that are soft on plant roots. Hydraflo provides a high level of safety on fine root hairs, even with sensitive crops. Trials ICL have conducted many nursery and turf trials on wetting agents including Hydraflo.
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