Hydretain for Agriculture

From germination to the retail shelf, Hydretain protects plants from drying out

For healthier plants with less water, Hydretain is your perfect partner

You work hard to ensure thousands of individual plants make the cut. Hydretain helps you manage your watering schedules while protecting edge plants from drying out ahead of the rest of the crop.

Keep your turf healthy while cutting your watering and labor costs

Hydretain is a safe, year-round water management solution

Hydretain is a revolutionary chemistry designed to reduce watering frequency and protect turf from drying out for an extended time between watering cycles. A blend of hygroscopic and humectant compounds, Hydretain attracts and condenses free water molecules from the air within the soil to create microscopic droplets that plant roots can use.

Available in both liquid and granular product options, Hydretain provides a cost effective and easy-to-use solution for water management from tee to green.

WORRY LESS. WATER LESS

Hydretain protects nursery plants from the harmful effects of drought stress

A single application of Hydretain increases watering efficiency by managing root zone moisture throughout the season. In independent tests Hydretain has reduced watering by up to 50%.

Prior to treating with Hydretain these plants were watered three times per week by overhead irrigation and still required supplemental hand watering twice per week. After applying Hydretain to the plants on the left, hand watering was eliminated and overhead watering was reduced to two times per week. Plants on the right are untreated.

Hydretain effectively delays wilting

Hydretain is able to attract and hold free water molecules from the air within the soil and efficiently transfer them to the plant’s roots. This extends the intervals between wilt cycles, increasing shelf life and plant quality. Best of all, one Hydretain application is effective for up to three months and is fully biodegradable.

Hydretain’s unique blend of humectant and hygroscopic compounds have been proven in university and greenhouse trials to significantly delay wilting. The graph shows the results of research conducted on four common plant species. The plants were split into two groups, one group received only water and the other received water and Hydretain on day zero. The plants were then observed and the 1st and 2nd wilt times were recorded.

Protect your investment now...and in the future

With Hydretain, the results are outstanding

Extend Retail Shelf Life
Hydretain extends retail shelf life by extending the time between required waterings. This makes plant material easier to maintain by retail personnel and keeps plants looking fresh longer, maintaining full value, increasing sales, and reducing plant loss due to improper watering.

Reduce Returns
Hydretain will reduce returns on both the wholesale and retail level by reducing plant loss that occurs during shipping and on the retail shelf.

Increase Consumer Satisfaction
Hydretain will increase consumer satisfaction by making the plants easier to maintain once they are home.

Even-Up Watering Schedules
Watering schedules are often dictated by a few plants (usually at the edge of benches or at the perimeter of irrigation systems) which dry-out ahead of the majority of the crop. This leads to hand watering that is time consuming or overwatering, which can lead to fungus and disease problems. Hydretain will even-up your watering schedule by managing root zone moisture and protecting plants from uneven drying.

Mums treated vs. control at 4 weeks

Hydretain treated plants displayed healthier growth and more flower buds, while being given 50% less water than the control.

Lantana after 2 days with no water

In 100 degree temperature, control plants declined severly compared to the Hydretain treated Lantana

Extend Retail Shelf Life

With Hydretain you can protect plants from wilt for longer periods during shipping and on the retail shelf.

FAQ's you should know

Once applied and watered into the root zone, Hydretain’s hygroscopic humectant components attached to the root hairs of plants and lawns, drawing moisture vapor from the soil like tiny water magnets. It then converts that moisture vapor into water droplets, enabling plants to take up more moisture and assisting in the uptake of nutrients.

Hydretain can be used on all types of plants from propagation throughout lifelong maintenance. It can be used to speed germination and establishment, reduce transplant shock, minimize edge wilt, and improve retail shelf life.

No. Wetting agents reduce the surface tension of water, which helps water enter hydrophobic soils more easily. They impact the movement of liquid water down to and throughout the soil. Hydretain is unique in its ability to impact the movement of moisture vapor (the gas form of water) as it moves back up through the soil where it would normally be lost to evaporation. Hydretain attracts soil moisture vapor and converts it back into plant usable water droplets – reducing evaporative loss and making more water available to plant roots. Superabsorbent polymers or hydrogels are similar to the polymers used in baby diapers. They absorb and store liquid water. In most cases, superabsorbent polymers must be incorporated into the root zone, making them difficult to use on established lawns and plants.

Although Hydretain is not certified organic, it is produced using primarily food grade, organic-based hygroscopic and humectant ingredients. Hydretain ES Plus has been certified as 93% biobased by the United States Department of Agriculture BioPreferred Program. It is safe to use on commercially grown food producing agriculture as well as retail herbs, fruit and vegetable plants and citrus trees. Hydretain Granular OC incorporates the Hydretain formula into an organic compost carrier.

Hydretain is not designed to store water, but rather to convert unavailable moisture vapor into plant usable liquid droplets. Hydretain can only hold about it’s own weight in water at a time. It will not hold excess moisture and therefore, will not cause any negative results when rainfall or irrigation is abundant.

Each application of Hydretain lasts for up to 3 months.

Hydretain is available in both liquid and granular formulas. Liquid can be applied by spray, drench, fertigation or injection. Granular products can be  incorporated into the soil at planting or applied topically after planting. Hydretain must be watered into the root zone to be effective.

The science behind Hydretain

Hydretain has the unique ability to attract water molecules, create droplets, and then release those droplets to plant roots. One end of the Hydretain molecule anchors itself to soil particles and root hairs, coating their surface. The other end is available to grab free water molecules from humid air circulating in the soil.