With population growth, crop water consumption in 2050 will increase by 70-90%. Nevertheless, water resources are being depleted at a rate far faster than their natural replenishment, which is bound to have a serious impact on crop yields. Therefore, it is necessary to pioneer new, simple, and innovative farming methods to effectively use available water resources. One of the most promising developments in this regard is the use of hydrogels in agriculture. On the one hand, hydrogels can retain a lot of water within their three-dimensional network structures. On the other hand, they have the ability to modify the local micro-environment of seeds or seedlings and improve the growth effect of crops.
Major Functions/Applications of Hydrogels in Agriculture
Major functions/applications of hydrogels in agriculture are listed below.
- Enhancing drought resistance of crops
Drought is one of the major stress conditions that limit the potential of the seed industry and crop production. The ability of hydrogels to maintain continuous regulation of water supply is particularly beneficial in water stress conditions especially in arid and semi-arid regions. They induce drought resistance by diffusing water absorbed in hydrogels to the roots of crops. The effect of hydrogels on soil drought resistance is shown in Fig. 1[1].
Fig. 1. The effect of hydrogels on soil drought resistance.
- As localized nutrient carriers
Controlled release fertilizers (CRFs)/slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) are receiving increasing attention due to their ability to release nutrients at a rate that meets crop nutrient requirements while reducing fertilizer losses caused by volatilization and leaching. Hydrogels can be used in (CRFs)/(SRFs) as localized nutrient carriers for sustained fertilizer release. For example, Olad et al[2]. showed that the release rate of untreated NPK fertilizer increased sharply (more than 98% fertilizer released within 6 h), in contrast the release rate from a hydrogel/NPK formulation were lower (67.44% fertilizer release within 1 month).
In addition to the above functions/applications, hydrogels are also used as seed coatings to provide the essential moisture required during the early stages of seed germination and a protective microenvironment under any adverse conditions, thereby increasing overall crop yields. Similarly, in order to prevent the desiccation of crop roots during many transplanting processes, such as lifting, handling and re-planting, a layer of hydrogel can be applied to the roots of the crop.
What Can We Do?
Hydrogels offer considerable value in the agriculture field, especially in the release of water and fertilizers, as well as in improving seed emergence and seedling establishment. However, the application of hydrogels in agriculture has also encountered many challenges. Alfa Chemistry has been worked on hydrogel research for many years. So if you have questions about the application of hydrogels in agriculture, please contact us. We are confident of providing you with professional advice.
References
- Kaur, P.; et al. Hydrogels in agriculture: prospects and challenges. Journal of Polymers and the Environment. 2023, 31: 3701-3718.
- Olad, A.; et al. Superabsorbent nanocomposite based on maize bran with integration of water-retaining and slow-release NPK fertilizer. Advances in Polymer Technology. 2018, 6(37): 1682-1694.
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