DATE AUTHOROctober 13, 2010 PAUL T. BIALLY
Sustainable Soil Surfactants for Turfgrass Management
Irrigation Efficiency in Turfgrass Systems
Water use efficiency and conservation are essential
for sustainable turfgrass management.
The slightest water deficits can
impact turf health, appearance, and
performance.
Excessive irrigation can be equally
detrimental leading to increased
erosion, run-off, nutrient leaching,
disease susceptibility, and resource
costs.
Irrigation Efficiency in Turfgrass Systems
Achieved when turf being irrigated uses most of the water applied by irrigation systems.
Dependent on:1. water being applied as uniformly as possible
2. water being applied in proper amounts at appropriate time intervals
source
Irrigation Efficiency Benefits
• Improved appearance• Better playing conditions (golf, sports fields)
• Reduced water use• Reduced runoff and leaching• Reduced agrochemical usage• Reduced pump operation, energy, and
maintenance costs
source
Mechanical Advances Are Essential
Allow growers to control timing, duration, and uniformity of water applied to the plant and soil surface.
Unable to control delivery
of applied water below the
surface and into the root
zone, where many
agronomic and economic
benefits are realized.
The Impact of Impervious Land Cover*
Natural Ground Cover 10-20% Impervious Surface
35-50% Impervious Surface 75-100% Impervious Surface
10% Runoff 20% Runoff
30% Runoff
55% Runoff
*roads, parking lots, sidewalks, roof tops, patios, etc.
Esterified
Water Droplet Interaction with the Land Surface
contact angle <90° 90° or greater
water
water
air
land surfaceland surface
air
infiltration no infiltration
influenced biochemically by oils and waxes from plants, microbes, agrochemical residue, pollutants, etc.
Prior Discoveries
* Intellectual property of Aquatrols Corp (Paulsboro, NJ, USA)
There is an ongoing
need for new
technologies with
superior
performance and
environmental
profiles.
Irrigation Surfactant Development
Organic Chemistry of Esters
Carboxylic acid derivatives in which hydroxyl group
(-OH) is replaced by an alkoxy group (-OR)
R—C—OH + R’—OH R—C—O—R’ + H2O
Esterification:OO
ACID ALCOHOL ESTER
Synthesis of Alkyl Polyglucosides
OO
OOHH
OOHHOOHH
OOHHOOHH HHOO
OOOOHH
OOHHOOHH
OOOOHH
OOHHOOHH
OOHH
OO
OO
-- HH22OO
HH++
nn
nnmm
++
GLUCOSE FATTY
ALCOHOL
ALKYL
POLYGLUCOSIDE
1) Maleic Anhydride
2) Sodium Sulfite
1) Citric Acid
2) Sodium Hydroxide
1) Tartaric Acid
2) Sodium Hydroxide
AlkylpolyglucosideAlkylpolyglucoside
SulfosuccinateSulfosuccinate
OOHH
++
OOOOHH
OOHHOOHH
OOOOHH
OOHHOOHH
OO
OO
nnmm
Alkylpolyglucoside
Synthesis of Alkyl Polyglucoside Esters (AGEs)
AlkylpolyglucosideAlkylpolyglucoside
CitrateCitrate
AlkylpolyglucosideAlkylpolyglucoside
TartrateTartrate
AGEs Retain Favorable APG Properties…
Derived from
natural, renewable
raw materials
Strong biological
performance as
built-in and tank
mix adjuvants
Biodegradable,
not harmful to
the environment
Free from dioxane,
ethylene oxide, and
nitrosamine
precursors
Mild to skin and
non-irritating to
the eyes
AGEs Offer Unique Efficacy
ISAA 2010
ISAA 2007
PATENT PENDING
Hydrophobicity* Effects on Water Penetration
1% 5% 10%
15% 20% 50%
WETTABLE WETTABLE REPELLENT
STRONGLY
REPELLENTIMPERVIOUS IMPERVIOUS
*Dimethyldichlorosilane treatments
Droplet Penetration Effects
WDPT (s)
Treatment 8000mgL-1 2000mgL-1 1000mgL-1 500mgL-1
Citrate Ester 2.0 52.6 68.0 155.0
Tartrate Ester 2.0 61.4 83.3 180.0
Sulfosuccinate Ester 2.8 65.2 100.7 135.0
L61 4.2 110.6 128.3 325.9
31R1 5.5 121.0 284.2 471.8
L62 8.0 152.7 167.9 468.4
25R2 9.8 203.3 394.4 >600
L64 8.0 511.4 >600 >600
APG (C8-10) 3.0 >600 >600 >600
APG (C9-11) 3.0 >600 >600 >600
Top 3 performers in GREEN
Droplet Penetration Effects
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
8000mgL-1 2000mgL-1 1000mgL-1 500mgL-1
Time (s)
Favorable Combinations with
Commonly Used Surfactants
WDPT (s)
Treatment 2000mgL-1
L61 Block Copolymer 305.9
APG (C8-10) 280.9
1:1 APG to L61 72.7
Sulfosuccinate Ester 23.4
1:1 SS to L61 5.0
OTS-treated sand
Effect of Blending Ratio
on Wetting EfficacyWDPT (s)
2000mgL-1
Treatment 3:1 1:1 1:3
Citrate Ester + Block Copolymer 71.8 37.2 330.0
Tartrate Ester + Block Copolymer 51.8 41.6 128
Sulfosuccinate Ester + Block Copolymer 140 57.8 480
OTS-treated sand
GREEN denotes synergies
Mini Disk Infiltrometer (MDI)•Measures hydraulic conductivity and infiltration
rate of the medium it is placed upon.
•Can also be used to measure soil water
repellency index and evaluate wetting agent
efficacy.
Property of Decagon Devices, 2007.
bottom view
Mini Disk Infiltrometer (MDI)
Infiltration = I = C1t + C2√t
Hydraulic Conductivity = k = C1/A
where C1 is the slope of the curve of
cumulative infiltration vs square root of time
and A = 11.65(n0.1-1)exp [2.92(n-1.9)αh0]
(αr0)0.91
related to soil parameters
Property of Decagon Devices, 2007.
Hydrophobicity* Effects on Water Penetration Rate
1% 5% 10%
15% 20% 50%
1.4 mL/s 1.3 mL/s 1.0 mL/s
0.7 mL/s
*Dimethyldichlorosilane treatments
0.0 mL/s 0.0 mL/s
Natural Variations in Infiltration Rate (mL/s)
15ft
15ft
0.23 0.13
0.270.33
0.13
0.23
0.30 0.400.33
Infiltration Rate (mL/s) following 1.0” Rain Event
Mean
Infiltration Rate
Time after rain mL/s mL/min
30 minutes 0.47 28
24 hours 0.30 18
48 hours 0.20 12
72 hours 0.10 6
96 hours 0.10 6
Infiltration Rate (mL/s) with Surfactant Treatment
Mean
Infiltration Rate
Treatment (500mgL-1
) mL/s mL/min
Control (96 hr) 0.10 6
C8-10 APG 0.10 6
L62 0.13 8
Citrate Ester 0.15 9
Tartrate Ester 0.15 9
Sulfosuccinate ester 0.17 10
1:1 EC to L62 0.23 14
Conclusions and Future Outlook
Performance advantages are apparent in the esterification of nonionic APGs.
APG esters can be highly effective at delivering irrigation water and agrochemicals to the root zone of turfgrass. Synergies are apparent with commonly used surfactants.
Patent pending. Research is underway to further investigate these properties.