Onjiniyela baseNyuvesi yaseTexas benze uhlobo olusha lwenhlabathi olukwazi ukumunca amanzi emoyeni bese lusatshalaliswa ezitshalweni. Lolu hlobo olusha lwenhlabathi lunganweba imephu yendawo yokulima emhlabeni wonke. Kunganciphisa futhi ukusetshenziswa kwamanzi ezolimo ngesikhathi sesomiso esibhedayo, ngokusho kweNyuvesi yaseTexas.
"Isistimu yokunisela amanzi asemkhathini" yonjiniyela isebenzisa amajeli amunca kakhulu ukuze athwebule amanzi emoyeni. Lapho inhlabathi ishiselwa ezingeni elithile lokushisa, amajeli akhulula amanzi, awenze atholakale ezitshalweni. Njengoba inhlabathi isabalalisa amanzi, amanye abuyiselwa emoyeni, akhulise umswakama futhi kube lula ukuba umjikelezo wokuvuna uqhubeke.
"Ikhono lokulima ngaphandle kwegridi ezindaweni lapho izinhlelo zokuchelela nezamandla okunzima ukuzakha kubalulekile ekukhululeni ukukhiqizwa kwezitshalo emanzini ayinkimbinkimbi njengoba izinsiza ziya ngokuya zintuleka," kusho uGuihua Yu, umsizi kaprofesa wesayensi yezinto zokwakha eMnyangweni we-Walker University. weMechanical Engineering.
Igramu ngayinye yomhlabathi ingakhipha cishe amagremu angu-3-4 amanzi. Ngokusho konjiniyela, kuye ngesilimo, cishe i-0,1 kuya ku-1 kg yenhlabathi inganikeza amanzi anele ukunisela cishe imitha yesikwele yendawo yokulima.
Amajeli asenhlabathini adonsa amanzi emoyeni ngezikhathi zasebusuku ezipholile, ezimanzi. Ukushisa kwelanga emini kwenza amajeli anamanzi asebenze ukuze akhiphe okuqukethwe kwawo emhlabathini.
Ithimba labacwaningi lenze izivivinyo ophahleni lwebhilidi leSikhungo Semfundo Yobunjiniyela Sesikole i-Cockrell e-UT Austin ukuze lihlole inhlabathi. Bathole ukuthi inhlabathi ye-hydrogel ikwazi ukubamba amanzi kangcono kunenhlabathi eyisihlabathi ezindaweni ezomile futhi idinga amanzi amancane kakhulu ukuze kukhule izitshalo.
Ngesikhathi sokuhlolwa kwamaviki amane, ithimba lithole ukuthi inhlabathi igcine cishe u-40% yenani lamanzi. Ngokuphambene, inhlabathi enesihlabathi yayinamanzi angama-20% kuphela asele ngemva kwesonto nje.
Kokunye ukuhlola, ithimba labacwaningi litshale imithombo kuzo zombili izinhlobo zenhlabathi. Zonke izitshalo enhlabathini ye-hydrogel ziphile isikhathi esiyizinsuku eziyi-14 ngaphandle kokunisela. Imithombe enhlabathini enesihlabathi yayiniselwa izikhathi eziningana phakathi nezinsuku ezine zokuqala zokuhlolwa. Awekho ama-radishes enhlabathini enesihlabathi owasinda ngaphezu kwezinsuku ezimbili ngemva kwesikhathi sokuqala sokunisela.
"Iningi lenhlabathi lilungele ukukhula kwezitshalo," kusho uFei Zhao, umcwaningi we-postdoctoral eqenjini locwaningo likaYu, ohola ucwaningo kanye no-Xinyi Zhou noPanpan Zhang. "Umkhawulo omkhulu ngamanzi, ngakho besifuna ukuthuthukisa inhlabathi ekwazi ukuqoqa amanzi emoyeni ozungezile."
Ukuvuna amanzi enhlabathini kuwukusetshenziswa kokuqala okukhulu kobuchwepheshe, ithimba eselisebenze phezu kwalo iminyaka engaphezu kwemibili.