New research from the University of Illinois proves Hydretain significantly reduces water use while enhancing plant quality, says Ecologel Solutions, LLC.
In some cases, Hydretain benefits may be far greater than they initially appear. Such was the case for this University of Illinois research study. Initially, the researcher noted water savings of 33%, 30% and 13% for Hydretain treated versus untreated peppers, tomatoes and turfgrass respectively. Upon further observation the researcher noted that the Hydretain treated plants were substantially superior in size and quality than the untreated controls. When comparing the reduction in water use to relative plant mass, Hydretain treated plants significantly outperformed their untreated counterparts. Hydretain treated turfgrass, irrespective of formulation, used 52-65% less water than controls per gram of dry matter produced. Hydretain treated turfgrass exhibited significantly greener color and turf quality than untreated controls.
At no time were any negative effects of Hydretain observed on treated plants. ”Taken together the measurements of dry matter yield and water use, there was a clear advantage to the use of Hydretain in enhancing plant growth while using much less water than control plants to generate plant tissue,” said Shelby Henning, research specialist in agriculture, University of Illinois Department of Crop Science.