Potential of Cellulose-Based Superabsorbent Hydrogels as Water Reservoir in Agriculture

Abstract

The present work deals with the development of a biodegradable superabsorbent hydrogel, based on cellulose derivatives, for the optimization of water resources in agriculture, horticulture and, more in general, for instilling a wiser and savvier approach to water consumption. The sorption capability of the proposed hydrogel was firstly assessed, with specific regard to two variables that might play a key role in the soil environment, that is, ionic strength and pH. Moreover, a preliminary evaluation of the hydrogel potential as water reservoir in agriculture was performed by using the hydrogel in experimental greenhouses, for the cultivation of tomatoes. The soil-water retention curve, in the presence of different hydrogel amounts, was also analysed. The preliminary results showed that the material allowed an efficient storage and sustained release of water to the soil and the plant roots. Although further investigations should be performed to completely characterize the interaction between the hydrogel and the soil, such findings suggest that the envisaged use of the hydrogel on a large scale might have a revolutionary impact on the optimization of water resources management in agriculture.

Experimental Assessment of the Use of a Novel Superabsorbent polymer (SAP) for the Optimization ofWater Consumption in Agricultural Irrigation Process

“…In this work, an innovative SAP, obtained through chemical crosslinking of cellulose derivatives, was synthesized, based on the results of previous studies [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30], and its water retaining capability was assessed with a specific focus on agricultural applications. The goal of this work was to characterize, from an operative point of view, the beneficial effect of the use of the novel SAP in combination with different types of soils, for the cultivation of plants typical of the Mediterranean area.…”

Synthesis and characterization of high performance superabsorbent hydrogels using bis[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl] phosphate as crosslinker

“…Near day 3, the slope of the curves diverges according to the amount of SAP present in the mixture. This observation indicates that, beyond this time, the water loss corresponds to water bonded to the hydrogel [15,16].…”

“…For each mixture, three experiments were performed. A control experiment was also performed using soil without addition of hydrogel [15,16]. These mixtures were weighed at certain intervals of time and the weight loss by water evaporation was registered.…”

Natural fibers for hydrogels production and their applications in agriculture

“…For instance, the equipment is provided with a pressure chamber in which the wet samples are located and a porous plate, which have allowed the passage of water, the hydrogel is brought to its maximum swelling ability when is placed into the chamber, a specific pressure is applied and maintained until there is no flow of water from the chamber (Singh, Sarkar, Kumar Singh, Parsad & Singh-Parmar, 2010). The pressure values are set according to the thermodynamic soil suction potential value (average pressure exerted by a plant on the soil to absorb water) (Demitri, Scalera, Madaghiele, Sannino & Maffezzoli, 2013). It was found that the greater amount of water is released at low pressures, due to plant present greater availability to a lesser effort of the roots.…”