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Kenya: Newly-introduced ‘water gel’ promises bumper harvest in dry spell
by Bob Koigi
Business Daily Africa
Agropreneurs are halving irrigation and getting better results during dry spells, thanks to a new product that is creating water storage sacks at the roots of crops.
The water polymer, known as Belsap, comes as granules that are added to the soil at planting time, but which expand by up to 400 times their original size during rains, storing water that they then release, together with nutrients, during dry spells.
The granules are thoroughly mixed with the soil, but only a pinch needs to be applied. Once exposed to moisture, the granules transform into gel or crystals, as they take in the surrounding water.
The performance of these expanded water-containing gels among farmers who cultivate crops as diverse as wheat, sorghum and horticultural crops has been uniform and impressive, with crops gaining the strength to produce more tillers – shoots that grow from the bottom of the original stalk.
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