Nozzle for Spraying Polyacrylamide Flocculants. Case Study in Morocco for Sand Dune Stabilization and in Israël for Soil Erosion Control on Potatoes Crop

WS-PAM or Water Soluble Polyacrylamide is a soil conditionner well known since the 1980s. This molecule is recommended to use among one of NRCS best management practices (NRCS 450) to control soil erosion while limiting water turbidity. It is generally used in powder form in furrow irrigation for potatoes crops for example.
PAM stabilizes soil structure and aggregates : increases water infiltration, soil aeration and drainage, decreases water run-off, prevents crusting and compaction, stops wind and water erosion and increases bulk density of soil.
However PAM is difficult to apply because of its sticky properties that can clog pipes and nozzles during spray treatment or irrigation event. This technology is therefore hard to use even if it very efficient in agroecosystems.
SNF has developped an easy way to spray PAM without clogging equipments. Severals trials in Morocco, Tunisia, UK and Israël has been done with very promising results in term of soil crusting effect, soil erosion control, sand stabilization and hydraulic Conductivity.
The design of this innovation is to use 2 channels that goes to a nozzle with a mirror. Then the dilution is made outside the nozzle and let the equipment cloggin free.
The effects are better than powder use because there is a very good cover of the soil. It means that flocculation process if effective everywhere and not only around the powder particles.
Finally with this method, it is easy to treat other areas such as agricultural fields without irrigation, with limited equipments or natural areas such as sand dunes without using a huge amount of water.