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 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 plant growth was monitored by 4 different growth indicators using wheat as a model plant. Plant growth indicators demonstrated that shoot dry matter, spike length, and grain yield were enhanced up to 24%, and 11.6% using different amounts of SAP at varying drought conditions. The 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.