Agbna Gamareldawla H D, Zaidi Syed Javaid
UNESCO-Chair in Desalination and Water Treatment, Center for Advanced Materials, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar.
Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Agricultural Studies, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Shambat, Khartoum North P.O. Box 71, Sudan.
Gels. 2025 Apr 7;11(4):276. doi: 10.3390/gels11040276.
Hydrogels have emerged as a transformative technology in agriculture, offering significant potential to enhance crop resilience, improve water use efficiency, and promote sustainable farming practices. These three-dimensional polymeric networks can absorb and retain water, making them particularly valuable in regions facing water scarcity and unpredictable rainfall patterns. This review examines the types, properties, and applications of hydrogels in agriculture, highlighting their role in improving soil moisture retention, enhancing nutrient delivery by, and increasing crop yield. The discussion extends to the economic and environmental implications of hydrogel use, including their potential to reduce irrigation costs by and minimize soil erosion. The review also explores the latest innovations in hydrogel technology, such as smart hydrogels and biodegradable alternatives, which offer new possibilities for precision agriculture and environmental sustainability. Despite promising benefits, challenges such as the higher cost of synthetic hydrogels, environmental impact, and performance variability across different soil types remain. Addressing these challenges requires a multidisciplinary approach that integrates advancements in material science, agronomy, and environmental policy. The future outlook for hydrogels in agriculture is optimistic, with ongoing research poised to refine their applications and expand their use across diverse agricultural systems. By leveraging the capabilities of hydrogels, agriculture can achieve increase in productivity, ensure food security, and move towards a more sustainable and resilient agricultural landscape.
水凝胶已成为农业领域一项变革性技术,在增强作物抗逆性、提高水分利用效率以及推广可持续农业实践方面具有巨大潜力。这些三维聚合物网络能够吸收并保留水分,这使得它们在面临水资源短缺和降雨模式不可预测的地区尤为重要。本文综述了水凝胶在农业中的类型、特性及应用,着重阐述了它们在改善土壤保水性、提高养分输送能力以及增加作物产量方面的作用。讨论还涉及使用水凝胶的经济和环境影响,包括其降低灌溉成本和减少土壤侵蚀的潜力。综述还探讨了水凝胶技术的最新创新,如智能水凝胶和可生物降解的替代品,这些为精准农业和环境可持续性提供了新的可能性。尽管有诸多益处,但合成水凝胶成本较高、环境影响以及不同土壤类型下性能的变异性等挑战依然存在。应对这些挑战需要采取多学科方法,整合材料科学、农学和环境政策等方面的进展。水凝胶在农业领域的未来前景乐观,持续的研究有望优化其应用并在不同农业系统中扩大其使用范围。通过利用水凝胶的功能,农业能够提高生产力、确保粮食安全,并朝着更可持续和有韧性的农业格局发展。
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