We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Polymeric Hydrogelsin Agriculture: EnvironmentalPerformance, Sustainability Challenges, and Future Perspectives
Summary
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.
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.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Polymeric Hydrogels in Agriculture: Environmental Performance, Sustainability Challenges, and Future Perspectives
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.
Significance of biopolymer-based hydrogels and their applications in agriculture: a review in perspective of synthesis and their degree of swelling for water holding
Researchers reviewed the development and agricultural applications of hydrogels made from natural biopolymers, which are biodegradable alternatives to synthetic plastics. These hydrogels can retain large amounts of water and deliver nutrients or active compounds to soil in a controlled way. The study suggests that biopolymer hydrogels could help improve crop yields while reducing the environmental burden of synthetic plastic materials in agriculture.
Superabsorbent Hydrogels in the Agriculture and Reclamation of Degraded Areas
This review examines superabsorbent hydrogels, polymer materials that can absorb hundreds of times their weight in water, and their use in agriculture and land restoration. Researchers found that while these materials can significantly improve soil water retention and crop yields, concerns remain about chemical leaching and potential microplastic generation as they degrade. The study suggests that more research is needed on the long-term environmental safety of synthetic hydrogels in soil.
Development of biodegradable hydrogels with adjustable moisture retention capacity for agricultural applications
Researchers developed and field-tested cellulose-based biodegradable hydrogels with zeolite and bentonite additives for improving soil water retention in arid agricultural regions of Kazakhstan, confirming positive effects on moisture retention, plant growth, and biomass accumulation across irrigated, rainfed, and arid test sites.
Smart Hydrogels for Sustainable Agriculture
This article reviews how "smart hydrogels" -- materials that can absorb and slowly release water and nutrients -- could transform agriculture by reducing water waste and excessive chemical use. While not directly about microplastics, these gel-based systems could help reduce the environmental contamination that comes from conventional farming practices. The authors highlight that more research is needed to make these materials practical and affordable for widespread farm use.