Cellulose based hydrogel as soil conditioner and seed germination medium

Abstract To address the research gap concerning the effects of different plasticisers on the properties of cellulose hydrogel, this study investigated the impact of various gelling agents, including sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC), alginate (AA), glycerol, and polyethylene glycol (PEG), on cellulose-based hydrogels. Among these plasticisers, hydrogels containing 1.75% (wt/wt) NaCMC, 1.0% (wt/wt) glycerol, and 0.5% (wt/wt) PEG exhibited excellent water uptake and retention capacities, absorbing over 2600% of water and retaining at least 10% of that water over a 96-h period. These cellulose hydrogels also improved the soil moisture content, pH, and electrical conductivity across four different soil types (sand, topsoil, gley soil, and clayey soil) over a 15-day period. Additionally, the hydrogels were assessed as seed germination media for Choy Sum vegetable seeds. The study demonstrated that glycerol-plasticized cellulose hydrogel significantly enhanced seed germination, even without an external water supply, due to its superior water retention properties. Biodegradability tests revealed that all hydrogels lost over 80% of their weight after 60 days in loamy soil, confirming their biodegradability.