When aggregates hold and pores are open, seedlings emerge evenly, roots go deeper, and more rain or irrigation becomes usable moisture instead of runoff. But many fields struggle: erosion and surface sealing break aggregates, wash away fines and nutrients, and create hard crusts that block air and water. Wet–dry swings then cause uneven infiltration and shallow roots. The result is wasted fertilizer, extra fieldwork after storms, and yields that rise and fall with the weather.
Across many fields, erosion, runoff, and surface crusting degrade aggregates, carry away fines and nutrients, and leave uneven wetting that drives shallow roots, fertilizer waste, and unstable yields.
SOCO® Soil Hydrogel, banded or incorporated in the root zone, captures part of each irrigation/rain and releases it back as the soil dries, through the process of absorbing and releasing water, the soil pores are regulated, much like breathing, moderating surface stress, reducing runoff and sealing, and holding water and nutrients near roots to lift uptake and stabilize stand establishment.
When intense drops or sprinkler streams strike bare soil, aggregates slake: air trapped inside is compressed and escapes suddenly, collapsing structure into dispersed fines that runoff then exports—this begins erosion and nutrient loss, especially on low‑OM or bare surfaces.
By placing SOCO® Soil Hydrogel in the rooting layer, will produce Wet-dry cycling effect, hydrogels generate mechanical force during the process of absorbing water and swelling, and releasing water and shrinking. This repeated volume change compresses the surrounding soil, promoting the formation of soil aggregates. improving aeration, for clay soils, the swelling and releasing action can break up soil compaction and increase soil porosity, thereby improving root aeration.
After dispersion, fines settle and dry into a hard crust that blocks air and water flow and physically impedes emergence; each subsequent event then infiltrates less and runs off more, amplifying the cycle on silt‑rich, low‑organic‑matter, hot or windy sites.
SOCO® Soil Hydrogel, evens infiltration to reduce both ponding and dry spots, and improves early rooting and stand. The improved soil moisture and aeration conditions are more conducive to the reproduction of soil microorganisms (such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria), thereby increasing the biological activity of the soil.
When soil structure is managed, everything else follows: emergence is even, roots run deeper, infiltration stays consistent, and a greater share of each rainfall or irrigation remains usable in the profile while nutrients stay in the root zone. SOCO® Soil Hydrogel helps you lock in those gains—buffering wet–dry swings, reducing sealing and runoff, and keeping seedbeds friable.
No.51-2, Wuyang Road, Qingdao, China
