Researchers from the University of Texas have developed smart soil that increases crop growth by 138% and saves 40% water compared to regular soil.

The soil does not use any artificial intelligence systems, sensors, or robots to control its irrigation and fertilization. Instead, it uses a special hydrogel that is mixed with the soil.

This gel gives the soil the ability to absorb water vapor at night and release it to the plant roots throughout the day. This is because it is affected by temperature: when the temperature drops, it stores water vapor, and when the temperature rises during the day, it releases it.

The plant roots are fed with nutrients such as calcium chloride, which is mixed with the hydrogel, providing the plants with nutrients as they are watered.

In this way, the researchers have found a solution to the problem of water scarcity in many agricultural lands, and they have also reduced the effort required to irrigate and fertilize the soil.

The researchers plan to experiment with mixing different fertilizers into the gel and applying it to different agricultural lands for longer periods of time.

This gel is a promising solution to the problems faced by many agricultural lands as it saves water and fertilizers and at the same time increases soil productivity.