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Polymeric Hydrogels in Agriculture: Environmental Performance, Sustainability Challenges, and Future Perspectives
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A review assessed the environmental performance and degradation behavior of polymeric hydrogels used in agriculture as soil moisture-retaining agents. The study raises concerns about whether these materials break down safely or contribute to microplastic accumulation in farmland soils.
Climate variability and freshwater scarcity increasingly constrain crop production, motivating soil amendments that improve water and nutrient use efficiency. Polymeric hydrogels, cross-linked, water-swelling networks, are emerging as adaptable materials for climate-smart agriculture. By retaining and gradually releasing water and agrochemicals, they buffer soil moisture, reduce irrigation frequency, and enhance fertilizer utilization. Recent advances move beyond simple superabsorbent behavior toward multifunctional systems for controlled nutrient delivery, seed coating, and microbial inoculation, and toward stimuli-responsive “smart” matrices that couple with precision irrigation and sensing. This review synthesizes hydrogel chemistry, cross-linking strategies, and structure–property relationships that govern swelling, mechanics, and release kinetics under soil-relevant ionic and pH conditions. We critically assess agronomic performance across crops and soil types, highlight opportunities with biodegradable biopolymer and hybrid designs, and examine sustainability dimensions (cost, durability, biodegradability, life-cycle impacts, and potential microplastic risks) relevant to environmental chemical engineering and policy. Looking forward, we outline design-for-degradation criteria, reporting standards for field trials, and integration pathways with digital agriculture to accelerate responsible deployment. Overall, adaptive hydrogel platforms show strong potential to deliver water and nutrients more efficiently while aligning with environmental safeguards necessary for scalable, climate-resilient food systems. This review is among the first to integrate structure–function mapping, mechanistic modes of action, and a biodegradability framework for agro-hydrogels. It highlights design and reporting practices that can accelerate safe and sustainable hydrogel adoption, aligning with global climate adaptation and food security goals.
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Polymeric Hydrogelsin Agriculture: EnvironmentalPerformance, Sustainability Challenges, and Future Perspectives
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This review examines polymeric hydrogels as soil amendments for climate-smart agriculture, finding that these cross-linked water-swelling networks can improve soil moisture retention, reduce irrigation frequency, and enhance fertilizer utilization, while also addressing environmental persistence and degradation challenges.
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This review examines biodegradable hydrogels derived from natural polymers as replacements for conventional petroleum-based superabsorbent hydrogels used in agriculture, which persist in soils and contribute to microplastic formation. The transition to biopolymer-based hydrogels is directly relevant to microplastic pollution because synthetic soil conditioners and controlled-release systems are an underappreciated source of agricultural microplastic accumulation.
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Researchers reviewed the expanding use of synthetic polymers in agriculture — including water-retaining superabsorbent polymers and slow-release coatings — and found that while they boost crop yields and conserve water, they also contribute to soil microplastic pollution over time. The review calls for more research into biodegradable alternatives to reduce the long-term environmental burden of plastic-based farming inputs.
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