Effects of eco-friendly carbohydrate-based superabsorbent polymers on seed germination and seedling growth of maize

Abstract

Desertification is the degradation of land in arid and semi-arid areas. Nowadays, lack of water and desertification are extreme problems for plant survival and growth in the arid and semi-arid areas of the world. It becomes increasingly important as to how to let the plant absorb moisture more effectively for keeping growth strong. We synthesized superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) with carbohydrate and characterized them by Fourier transform infrared spectra analyses, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyses. Then, a completely randomized experiment was conducted to assess the effect of carbohydrate-based SAPs on seed germination and seedling growth of maize in an artificial climate chest. The results showed that adding an appropriate amount of SAPs could improve root length, shoot length, total biomass, germination potential and germination rate. It indicates that this SAP is not toxic to plants and can promote seed germination, and at the same time provides a possibility of replacing other substrates.

Superabsorbent Polymer Network Degradable by a Human Urinary Enzyme

“…Therefore, a design principle in creating a biodegradable SAP is first to degrade a crosslinked PAA network into linear PAA chains by cleaving crosslinking sites and then fragmentizing linear PAA chains into smaller pieces to be degraded by the microorganisms. Previous works have synthesized biodegradable SAP through embedding cleavable moieties into the polymer network [6]; however, these attempts had limited success due to complex synthetic routes, low production yield, and insufficient water absorbency and mechanical properties [7][8][9]. Instead of a PAA, other polymers that are charged and intrinsically biodegradable were properties [7][8][9].…”

“…Previous works have synthesized biodegradable SAP through embedding cleavable moieties into the polymer network [6]; however, these attempts had limited success due to complex synthetic routes, low production yield, and insufficient water absorbency and mechanical properties [7][8][9]. Instead of a PAA, other polymers that are charged and intrinsically biodegradable were properties [7][8][9]. Instead of a PAA, other polymers that are charged and intrinsically biodegradable were made into SAPs via crosslinking.…”

Impact of Superabsorbent Polymers and Variety on Yield, Quality and Physiological Parameters of the Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris prov. Altissima Doell)

“…The most common polymers in agriculture are polyacrylamide and polyacrylate polymers [ 36 ]. The importance of SAPs as a soil conditioner has been investigated recently in drought areas during soil restoration [ 37 ] because it can effectively increase the soil moisture and porousness and improve the soil structure and nutrient efficiency [ 38 ]. The coating of seeds with SAPs increases their viability and provides water supply to the seeds, which is available during the germination phase [ 39 ].…”

“…The application of SAPs in combination with fertilizers, which has improved the complex nutrition of the crops and reduced the water loss in the process of evapotranspiration, has been successful in practice [ 42 ]. Several studies have investigated the impact of SAPs on the growth of cultivated crops, such as common bean [ 43 ], common wheat [ 44 , 45 ], alfalfa [ 46 ], maize [ 37 , 47 ], sunflower [ 45 ], and onion [ 48 ].…”

Synthesis and Characterization of Superabsorbent Cellulose‐Based Hydrogel for Agriculture Application

“…[ 7,8 ] The ability of the hydrogel to absorb and retain water/biological fluids has attracted substantial attention for applications in disposable diapers, hygienic napkins, controlled drug delivery system, tissue engineering, sensors, and agriculture. [ 9,10 ] The presence of hydrophilic groups on the polymer chains such as hydroxyl, (−OH) carboxyl, (−COOH) and amide is responsible for improved water absorbency characteristics of the hydrogels.…”