Investigation of the effect of superabsorbent polymer application on soil moisture and plant growth

Abstract

As climate change continues to affect the environment, drought management has become more critical in agri-food production. Farmers are now looking for alternative drought management methods that are easy to apply. In this sense, superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) were proposed as an alternative soil conditioning and drought management tool within this study. To test the efficiency of a developed SAP (Soyl-Gel) in terms of soil conditioning and plant growth promotion with different soil types and extreme drought conditions, long term soil and greenhouse experiments were carried out in at least 4 replicates. The soil conditioning effect was investigated in terms of soil’s moisture content and maximum water retention period, while plant growth was monitored by 4 different growth indicators using wheat as a model plant. Soil conditioning results demonstrated that Soyl-Gel can enhance the maximum moisture content and extend the moisture retention period of sandy soil by 7-fold and 28-fold, respectively, making it similar to arable soil levels. Plant growth indicators demonstrated that shoot dry matter, spike length and grain yield was enhanced up to 24%, 11.6% using different amounts of Soyl-Gel at varying drought conditions. Study set forth and exemplary of superabsorbent polymer use in agriculture and useful in dose adjustment and understanding the drought-dose relationship in these types of polymers.