Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVI, Issue 2
Written by Amalia-Carmen MITELUȚ, Silvana Mihaela DĂNĂILĂ-GUIDEA, Paul-Alexandru POPESCU, Mihaela-Cristina DRĂGHICI, Elisabeta Elena POPA, Mona Elena POPA
The current climate changes are felt at global level through two primary consequences, namely the increase of day and night temperatures and the decrease of water availability, a fact that determines an important impact in the practices of cultivating plants. Due to this reason, superabsorbent materials such as hydrogels, have been developed to be used especially in plant cultivation systems. The practical relevance of the use of hydrogels in plant substrate could lead to an improvement of water and nutrients management conditions in the field of agriculture. Hydrogels act as a reservoir of water and/or nutrients with gradual release according to plant requirements and in a controlled manner. Thus, a favorable environment for the development of roots and plants is created and maintained throughout their growth. At the same time, this technology brings advantages to the physical characteristics of the soil, by improving the porosity of the soil, thus considerably reducing the undesirable effects observed when applying conventional watering techniques, such as soil drying after sprinkler irrigation and soil erosion during gravity irrigation.
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