Method of promoting water transport through soil

A method of promoting and controlling the transport of water through medium and coarse grained soils comprising the step of applying to medium or coarse grained soil a soil amendment composition comprising a substantially linear, substantially water-soluble hydrophilic polymer of ethylene oxide having a molecular weight greater than 50,000, said composition when applied to said soil at various levels of at least 0.05 but less than 20 parts per million parts of dry soil displaying a well defined peak efficiency at a given level, said composition being applied to said soil at or about said given level, and said polymer having one or more functional groups disposed along the polymer chain, said polymer chain comprising one or more segments characterized by an absence of said functional group therein and a minimum length, said minimum length of the polymer chain segment being at least 0.1 micrometer when said polymer chain segment is secured to none of said functional groups at either end thereof or to one of said functional groups only at one end thereof and at least 0.2 micrometer when said polymer chain segment is secured to a respective one of said functional groups at each end thereof, said functional group or groups being more capable of attaching said polymer to a solid soil phase than is said polymer chain segment and said polymer chain segment being adapted to extend into an aqueous soil phase.