Economy

Belgian quick fix for farmers and soil

By Fu Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-04-04 14:49

Laurent Abergel (fourth from left) and his team in Brussels. [Photo / Provided to China Daily]

New granular material can help retain water in farms and fight drought

Belgian entrepreneur Laurent Abergel has come up with a solution that could soon turn parched Chinese farmlands into fertile fields. Severe drought in several crop-growing regions across China and the special focus on water-conservation projects in the current five-year plan are what make Abergel's solution even more appealing. His technique involves the use of a special granular material applied into the root zone of plants during the soil preparation stage that will help retain water for a longer time.

According to Abergel, Arpolith, the granular material, acts like a sponge and absorbs water and nutrients and releases them, as the soil gets drier. "Water shortage is becoming increasingly an issue in China. We are trying to use materials that can increase water-use efficiency, especially in the agricultural sector," says Abergel, chairman of the Belgium-based Arpadis Group, that specializes in distribution of chemicals and the production of coatings and polymers.

Such is Abergel's confidence in his product that he has already started negotiations for Arpolith with Chinese partners. Though he is yet to clinch any formal agreements, he still remains confident. "China is an interesting market with good potential for water efficiency and treatment chemicals, especially in desalination," he says.

"The Arpolith granules can retain water up to 30 times their weight. Nearly 45 tons of water can be retained in a hectare of land, in which 1.5 tons of Arpolith were applied. The granular material will start shrinking after the plants start consuming the water. The swelling and shrinking process aerates the soil, and helps to generate a sound root structure, says Abergel.

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Arpolith has a field life of around three years and needs only application after that period. It differs from most of the other products in that it improves the overall soil quality, is non-toxic and fully biodegradable. The granules also do not cake or clump together and also do not act as a barrier for water flow. "Depending on the type of soil and general climatic conditions, Arpolith can reduce water consumption by nearly 40 percent," he says.

A most important feature of Arpolith is that it keeps its structural properties in salty soils and that it is compatible with fertilizers and plant protecting agents.

Though he maintains that Arpolith is an affordable solution, he refuses to divulge the actual costs or the chemical composition, but maintains that the company ARPOLITH GmbH, which is part of this group, has already secured patent protection for the product.

Arpolith has been developed and for use in gardens and flower pots, on agricultural areas and lawns or turf as well as in nurseries. In Western Europe it has so far mainly been used by amateur and professional gardeners, landscapers, green keepers on golf courses. It improves the quality of the soil, reduces dust and helps to avoid wet spots after heavy rainfall.

But there is also much interest from outside Europe, such as Arab countries, Africa and Brazil - and of course from China. A typical example of the ideal use of Arpolith is a re-forestation project in Morocco which has just started.