Impact of hydrotropic agents on surfactant wetting of hydrophobic soils

The impact of non- and poorly-wetting soils has a direct influence on the potential yield of rain-fed broad acre crops. This study investigated the nature of soil organic matter and how this induces hydrophobicity on the soil. By using two related soils (from Western Australia) of contrasting hydrophobicities and comparing them to model hydrophobic surfaces, these studies showed the underlying parameters that establish severe or moderate hydrophobicity. The impact of hydrotropic agents on the efficiency of non-ionic surfactants used to ameliorate non-wetting soils was established in terms of the underlying mechanisms that influence the wetting dynamics in these soils.