Abstract
High molecular weight, synthetic polyacrylamides (PAM) are relatively large, water soluble polymers that are used increasingly by farmers to prevent erosion and increase infiltration during irrigation. A lab-scale erosion test was conducted to screen biopolymer solutions for a similar efficacy in reducing shear-induced erosion. In lab-scale mini-furrow tests, chitosan, starch xanthate, cellulose xanthate, and acid-hydrolyzed cellulose microfibrils, at concentrations of 20, 80, 80, and 120 ppm respectively, reduced suspended solids in the runoff water from test soil. None of these biopolymers, however, exhibited the >90% runoff sediment reduction shown by PAM at concentrations as low as 5 ppm. Preliminary field tests results showed that chitosan solutions were only marginally effective in reducing runoff from a 137m long furrow. There were indications that results were dependent on the length of the furrow. Erosion of some clay-rich soils from Northern California was reduced up to 85% by increasing the concentration of exchangeable calcium to >2.5mMole, with or without the addition of polymer additives.
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