2. How is PAM made? Answer: Two simple molecules (called monomers), one acrylamide and one acrylate, are combined in solution and an agent is added to make them join together into a long chain. The process is called polymerization. Usually about 80% of the monomers are acrylamide and 20% are acrylate. These numbers may vary slightly. The acrylate gives the polymer a negative charge. Sufficient monomers are combined to give high molecular weights of 10 to 15 million Daltons or more. Natural gas is used to make the monomers used in the PAM formula.

4. Is PAM safe? Answer: "MP" (Micronized PAM) that is used for soil work has been prepared from food-grade PAM that meets the standard for residual monomers - less than 0.05%. The acrylamide monomer has toxic properties but is rapidly degraded in soil. PAM is used in water treatment and in several food industries such as to control turbidity in fruit juices. The molecular weight and anionic charge of "MP" (Micronized PAM) meets requirements for approved use on soil. Some people develop a slight rash when exposed to dry PAM so use of gloves and a mask is recommended when dry PAM is used. PAM is biodegradable, but slowly. When PAM breaks down the monomer acrylamide is never reformed. The breakdown products are harmless carbon dioxide, water, and ammonia. PAM solutions are slippery when spilled and need to be cleaned up. PAM is very safe when used according to directions.

5. How long do soil treatments last? Answer: The longevity of treatments depends on the use intended and the amount applied. Some farm treatments last only a few weeks and others for the entire crop season. Some garden and landscape activities last for one season only, but soil preparation and transplant treatments applied at higher levels may last for several years. Turf, whether seed or sod, placed over PAM-prepared soil will be protected for the life of the turf. The breakdown rate of PAM is generally considered to be 10% per year, but under turf, the loss is overcome due to decomposing roots that add to soil stability.

6. Can PAM be used by organic growers and gardeners? Answer: The question has not been legally and practically answered. However, there are compelling reasons why it should be possible. There are no harmful mobile residue products. All food-grade PAMs used are environmentally benign. PAM is organic and it is put together much like starch and proteins. Polysaccharides produced in nature behave in soil much like PAM does; they bind to clay to make soil more stable. PAM molecules are not absorbed by plants and they become 100% fixed in soil or metabolized just like any natural organic? But the most important consideration is that PAM has a sparing action on soil organic matter. PAM can change a soil not having enough soil organic matter to have optimum characteristics. PAM, therefore, can make the supply of organic matter that is available for use on soils go much further. PAM and organic matter can have a synergistic effect especially when added with gypsum. Together they produce a living soil. The ability of PAM to decrease soil erosion is so dramatic that the technique should not be denied to any organic grower.

8. Can too much PAM be applied? Answer: Economics will prevent over application of PAM especially on farms. PAM tends to make clay behave more like a loam, and a loam will take on some sandy soil characteristics. An excessive application rate, therefore, could decrease water-holding capacity of soil and increase drying of the surface soil. Care must be taken in anti-crusting programs to be sure that newly planted seeds do not dry out too quickly. Proper depth of planting is important. Co-use with some Micronized Gel PAM or zeolite can keep the surface from drying out.

9. Is PAM a fertilizer? Answer: No, but nitrogen in PAM can serve as a source of nitrogen for plants and microbes. PAM contains about 14-15 percent nitrogen. This is of little consequence for farm use, but in landscape soil preparation where higher rates are used, the PAM may have some important fertilizer effects.

10. Will use of "MP" (Micronized PAM) be cost effective? Answer: Treatments at the farm level can be adjusted to match value of crop and expected benefits. A modest value of crop will permit a modest application rate but supplied to provide essential benefits. As the value of a crop increases, rates can be increased to achieve even more benefits. Erosion control and better water infiltration can be achieved with as little as $10 to $30 per acre for materials. Soils high in clay require higher application rates and soils that already have fair to good structure will need lower rates. Going for better yields and better crop quality usually will require higher rates. Landscape soil preparation where effects are expected to last for years, rates used are measured for 1000 square feet; the cost of $25 or more for 1000 square feet can be compensated for, with a decreased requirement for organic amendments. The results will be better than for all organic and no PAM.

11. Is "MP" (Micronized PAM) new? Answer: "MP" (Micronized PAM) is new. PAM itself is not really new. It has been a preferred soil conditioner for around two decades. A water-soluble polymer with the trade name of Krilium was used over 45 years ago. PAM, technically, is a more efficient and easier to use soil conditioner than was Krilium. A form of PAM that is not water-soluble has been used in soil to hold water as it swells up. It is called a gel or cross-linked polymer. It does not react with clay and has no soil-conditioning value.

12. Why does the PAM used for soil need an anionic charge instead of neutral or cationic? Answer: Clay particles are anionic just as PAM used for soil improvement. Cationic PAM does bind to clay easily but the stability is not high. Also cationic polymers are toxic to plant roots and animals because cationic PAM binds to them. Cationic PAM should not be used in soil.

13. Does MP Swell in Water and Increase Water-Holding Capacity of Soils? Answer: No. There is another type of polymer used in soils that has these characteristics. "Cross-linked" polymers do swell in water to 100 or more times their weight, and the water they hold can mostly be available to plants. This type of polymer has many specialty uses but is not to be confused or used interchangeably with MP.

14. Is MP Better Than Compost? Answer: MP is not a fertilizer; it only improves the physical properties of soil. Compost has some fertilizer value and also improves the physical and biological properties of soil. It is far better to use some of each than either alone. They can be synergistic, but a little bit of MP will do as much soil improving as a very large amount of compost.

15. Who Uses PAM? Answer: PAM has been marketed for 20 years or more. It has been very highly received by landscapers, developers, homeowners, and farmers. In 2000, over a million acres of furrow-irrigated land in the USA are using PAM to stop erosion. Other farmers are using it to save water and increase yields. Many landscapers use it in soil preparation when excellent work is wanted.

16. Why hasn't PAM or MP been recommended to me before? Answer: Many experts do recommend it. It is widely used in many places with good success. Information is being distributed as rapidly as possible. Many garden editors, farm advisers, supply centers have not heard of it as yet. But the use has been growing rapidly. Information is available in the scientific literature and in many trade publications. PAM, and MP specifically, generally will become better known with time.