Mexican Farmers Are Using Solid Rain To Fight Drought. This Is How It Works

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Mexico has the harshest and driest of weathers in the world, and during the years with scarce rains their agricultural sectors suffer a lot. Keeping that in mind, a Mexican chemical engineer created a product you surely would not have heard about!

Pic Credits: greenbookpages
Pic Credits: greenbookpages

The magic product that aims fend off the effects of droughts is called “Solid Rain”, which has been helping Mexican farmers in the tough times for over a decade. It is an amazing powered polymer, which has super absorbent properties and can suck water 500 times its original weight while being able to retain it for a very long time!

 

Photo: Solid Rain/Facebook
Photo: Solid Rain/Facebook

 

This concept has been previously known as the “super slurper” when it was designed back in 1970’s in the US for being used in the disposable diapers of babies. But for the first time, the idea was taken to a new step by the Mexican chemical engineer who made it into “Solid Rain”.

The engineer, Sergio Rico Velasco, modified the diaper absorbent powder and developed a different version of potassium polyacrylate which could be used in agriculture. The power can be mixed with soil and once it has been fed with enough water, it can slowly drain it out to feed the plants over a long period of time.

Photo: Solid Rain/Facebook
Photo: Solid Rain/Facebook

 

Sergio claims that just 10 grams of Solid Rain powder are capable of absorbing up to a litre of water. Upon absorption, the powder turns into a thick translucent gel; keeping the water from evaporating or quickly flowing back into the soil. So in essence, the gel starts acting as a long term fresh water reservoir exclusively for the plant roots.

The powder doesn’t need to be frequently reapplied, as the company claims it can last from 8 to 10 years in the soil. In a study conducted over a year by the Mexican government, farming plots in a semi-arid area that used Solid Rain produced over 300 percent more crops than the natural plots. In a plot growing sunflower, the yield was 3000 kg per hectare with Solid Rain as compared to just 1000 kg in regular conditions. In another plot, a yield of 3000kg of beans was grown using Solid Rain when compared to just 450 kg without it.

Photo: Solid Rain/Facebook
Photo: Solid Rain/Facebook

The product has been quite a hit among the farmers of Mexico, but due to lack of marketing, it hasn’t been very popular in other parts of the world. However, media articles like this one will ensure that the product gets the coverage it deserves, and already the company has had requests from other dry countries like India and Australia.

The creators claim that their product is not toxic and is made from a bio-arylamide. So after it has run its course, the gel disintegrates into powder-like substance becomes part of the plant.

Photo: Solid Rain/Facebook
Photo: Solid Rain/Facebook

There has been some criticism from people like Chalker Scott who say that the company has still to prove the claim that it can keep the water for a year. Also, he argues that in case the gel begins to dry, it will start to soak in more water meaning they will be taking water directly from the plant roots, in essence destroying them.

But the real-life success of the product proves otherwise. Some farmers in the Mexico, Sinaloa have started to use the product even when there is no drought, claiming that the production increased by 50%. Solid Rain has been nominated for the Flobal Water Award twice and has also won the Ecology and Environment Award from the Fundacion Miguesl Aleman.

Would you consider using Solid Rain on your farms right away, or are you still a little speculative about its effects?
Comment below!

7 comments

  1. Nageswararao Garlapati Reply

    Feel the product is very useful,but the people who are so called delars or distributes are not telling the correct price of the product.for me one man wrote 2700/-rs per kg,one person told 1500/- per kg and if you buy it in bulk he can give at 900/-per kg.we can get the product in the market at 360/-per kg.how to judge the product and buy.a small or marginal farmer can not buy.nobody is having the clear knowledge about the product.hope some body will clear my doubts. I want know how much gel should be used in one acre.thank you.

  2. vicky Reply

    Hi sir , can I expect this amazing product is available in our country(INDIA).If not how can I get your product.?

    • EvaniGreens Reply

      We are the distributor in Karnataka and Tamilnadu for this product , if you need more details about the product we are exhibiting our product in Coimbatore expo – http://agriintex.codissia.com/ , if you need more details about the product call our distributor – 097417 84949

  3. Mian khalid Reply

    Excellent , this is amazing product , I really liked to use this product in my farm.

    • EvaniGreens Reply

      We are the distributor in Karnataka and Tamilnadu for this product , if you need more details about the product we are exhibiting our product in Coimbatore expo – http://agriintex.codissia.com/ , if you need more details about the product call our distributor – 097417 84949

    • EvaniGreens Reply

      We are the distributor in Karnataka and Tamilnadu for this product , if you need more details about the product we are exhibiting our product in Coimbatore expo – http://agriintex.codissia.com/ , if you need more details about the product call our distributor – 097417 84949

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