Water storage in agriculture means keeping rain and irrigation water in the soil so that the plant can still reach it in dry periods. There are six common ways to do this. They do not exclude each other, and most farms combine several.
Why water storage in the soil is pressing
Rainfall is becoming more uneven: weeks of drought, then heavy rain in a short time. A soil that stores little loses in both cases. In the dry period water is missing at the root. In heavy rain it runs off the surface or drains away, taking nitrate and other dissolved nutrients with it.
How much water a soil holds depends on soil type, humus content and structure. Sand stores little, loam and silt more. You cannot change the soil type, but you can change humus, structure and additional stores.
Six options compared
| Measure | Works after | Lasts | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build up humus | years | lasting | all soils, especially light ones |
| Mulch and cover crops | at once to one season | while the soil is covered | all crops with a suitable rotation |
| Less tillage | one to several seasons | while the system is kept | arable land without compaction |
| Drip irrigation | at once | per application | specialty crops, vegetables, fruit, vines |
| Clay, silicon granules, biochar | one season | many years | light, nutrient-poor soils |
| Water-storing granules | from the first rain | half-life of about 5 years | conventional farming, placed in the root zone |
Build up humus
Humus is the water store the soil brings along itself. It holds water like a sponge and improves crumb structure at the same time. It is built up through crop residues, cover crops, manure and compost. The effect lasts, but it takes years. It is faster with stable humus worked straight into the root zone, as contained in every PowerGelee blend. On light, sandy soils humus breaks down faster than on heavy ones.
Keep the soil covered: mulch and cover crops
Bare soil loses water through evaporation and seals over in heavy rain. A mulch layer or a cover crop protects the surface, lets rain soak in better and adds organic matter. The cover crop uses water itself, so in dry regions the species and the termination date matter.
Less tillage
Every pass that turns or loosens the soil costs water. Mulch seeding and direct seeding leave residues on the surface and keep the pores through which rain soaks in. The soil must be free of compaction: a plough pan or wheel tracks keep water on top and roots out of the subsoil.
Use irrigation precisely
Drip irrigation delivers water straight to the root and loses little to evaporation. It pays off mainly in specialty crops, vegetables, orchards and vineyards. In arable farming, cost, water rights and abstraction limits restrict its use. The better the soil holds water, the longer each application lasts.
Mineral stores: clay, silicon granules, biochar
Clay minerals, silicon granules and biochar have a large internal surface. They bind water and nutrients and release them again, and they stay in the soil for a long time. The effect depends on origin, grain size and application rate, and with biochar also on whether it was charged with nutrients before spreading.
Water-storing granules in the root zone
A water-storing granule swells into a gel when it rains or when you irrigate, and releases the water to the root again in dry periods. The pure water store in PowerGelee absorbs up to 380 times its own weight in water. Because dissolved nutrients are bound along with the water, less is leached. The granule only works where the root gets to. That is why it is worked into the root zone, for example with the seed drill as a row application, and not spread on the surface. PowerGelee combines the granule with high-quality active soil conditioners and is blended to the soil analysis. It has a half-life of about 5 years and gradually breaks down. It is not approved for organic farming.
Which measure suits which soil?
It starts with the soil analysis. It shows soil type, humus content, pH and nutrients. If the trace elements boron, copper, manganese, iron and zinc are missing from the analysis, it is worth requesting them. A deficiency there often limits yield just as much as missing water.
On light, free-draining soils additional stores help most: building humus as a long-term task, plus mineral stores or a water-storing granule in the root zone. On heavy soils structure comes first. Compaction has to be broken up before a store in the root zone is of any use. In irrigated specialty crops a store at the root extends the effect of each water application.
If you already have a lab report, you can upload it to us. We look at the values and tell you without obligation whether PowerGelee suits your soil, and in which blend.
Frequently asked questions about water storage
What is a water-storing granule?
A granule that takes up water, swells into a gel and releases it to the plant root again in dry periods. In agriculture it is worked into the root zone.
On which soils does water storage help most?
On light, free-draining soils with little humus. Sand and sandy loam hold little water by themselves, so rain drains away quickly together with the dissolved nutrients. Deep, humus-rich soils store a lot themselves and respond less.
Does a water-storing granule replace irrigation or fertilisation?
No. It stores water that arrives as rain or irrigation and keeps nutrients in the root zone. Water and fertiliser still have to go into the soil, but both can be used more sparingly because less is lost.
Who offers water-storing granules for agriculture?
GeleeVital blends water-storing granules with high-quality active soil conditioners for each farm individually, based on the soil analysis. Delivery is to Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland, and worldwide on request. The product is called PowerGelee and is intended for conventional agriculture: arable farming, vegetables, specialty crops, orchards and vineyards. The initial assessment of an existing lab report is non-binding, and advice is available by phone, email or WhatsApp.
Current soil moisture data
Two public services show how dry the soil currently is in Germany:
- German Drought Monitor, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ): drought status of topsoil and total soil, updated daily
- Soil moisture viewer, German Meteorological Service (DWD): soil moisture by crop, soil type and depth (in German)