Potential use of polyacrylamide (PAM) in Australian agriculture to improve off and on-site environmental impacts and infiltration management

Uso Potencial del Poliacrylamido (PAM) en Agricultura Australiana Para el Mejoramiento del Impacto Ambiental y el Manejo de Infiltración Dentro y Fuera del Sitio

Sojka, R.E. and Surapaneni, A. (2000) Potential use of polyacrylamide (PAM) in Australian agriculture to improve off and on-site environmental impacts and infiltration management. In: Polyacrylamides in Irrigated Agriculture. Report of Project, No. UNE39. pp. 1-37. Land & Water Resources Research and Development Corporation (LWRRDC) NPIRD Travel Fellowship.

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Abstract

Polyacrylamide (PAM) has been sold in the United States since 1995 for reducing
irrigation-induced erosion and enhancing infiltration. PAM's soil stabilizing and flocculating
properties have also substantially improved runoff water quality by reducing sediments, N, ortho
and total P, COD, pesticides, weed seeds, and microorganisms in runoff. The first series of
practical field tests of PAM was conducted in the U.S. in 1991. Chemical companies, working
with "early adopter" farmers, began farm testing of PAM in 1997 in Australia. Australian farmer
results have been mixed because of lack of familiarity with PAM chemical and physical
attributes, lack of research focused on Australian conditions and a resulting lack of support
capability from extension or other public conservation or water management infrastructure.
PAM has chemical and physical properties that impart a steeper learning curve than most other
typical agricultural chemicals. Nonetheless, in Australian tests of PAM, sediment, nutrients, and
pesticide reductions exceeded levels achieved by traditional conservation farming' methods
(Waters et al., 1999a,b).

Item Type:	Book Section
NWISRL Publication Number:	1140
Subjects:	Irrigation > Furrow irrigation > Infiltration > Polyacrylamide Polyacrylamide (PAM) > Water-soluble PAM (WSPAM) > Infiltration management Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:58
Last Modified:	20 Oct 2016 17:05
Item ID:	1247
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/1247