Hydrogel polymer as a sustainable input for mitigating nutrient leaching and promoting plant growth in sugarcane crops

Nutrient leaching is a common issue in sandy soils. The use of hydrogel polymers can mitigate this problem by enhancing soil water retention. This study aims to assess the effect of hydrogel polymer application on nutrient leaching in sugarcane-cultivated soil and its impact on plant growth over a 196-day cycle. Parameters examined include soil water retention (%), nutrient leaching (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) analyzed through the water collected after natural drainage, as well as various plant growth parameters such as stem height and diameter, and fresh and dry stem and leaf mass. The highest soil water retention was observed in treatments with 1.5 and 2.0 g kg-1 of hydrogel polymer. Regarding nutrient leaching, the treatments with 1.5 and 2.0 g kg-1 of hydrogel polymer exhibited the lowest values, resulting in reductions of over 85% for all accumulated nutrients leached by the end of the crop cycle. The application of hydrogel, especially at higher doses, also enhanced sugarcane growth, notably increasing fresh stem mass. These results suggest that hydrogel polymers could serve as a sustainable solution for controlling nutrient leaching in sugarcane cultivation, contributing to the sustainable development of agriculture and environmental preservation.