From waste to treasure trove: High-value cellulose-rich materials with exceptional water retention properties in soil

Droughts represent a critical environmental stressor with cascading effects on hydrology, agriculture, ecosystem integrity, and societal stability. Characterized by prolonged deficits in precipitation, they reduce water availability, impair crop yields, elevate wildfire risk, and destabilize socio-economic systems through resource scarcity. Addressing these impacts necessitates a systems-based approach, which may involve integrating waste-derived moisture retention materials. In this study, common agricultural and forestry wastes were converted to cellulose-rich materials by oxidation and alkaline treatments. The raw biomass and cellulose-rich materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, thermogravimetric/differential thermogravimetric (TGA/DTG) analysis, and their potential for water retention in the soil was preliminarily explored. Results showed that most of the cellulose-rich materials have improved soil water retention properties significantly as compared to the control and raw biomass materials, due to the increase in cellulose content and removal of lignin and hemicellulose. This was confirmed by the FTIR analysis, where peak at 1740 cm^-1 associated to lignin disappearance, and new absorbance peaks appeared at 560 cm^-1, and 780 cm^-1, which represent glycosidic linkages in cellulose, demonstrating the potential application of these materials as agricultural water retaining materials. From the perspective of waste resource utilization, the application potential of cellulose-rich materials derived from agricultural and forestry residues in water retention was explored, providing an experimental basis for resource recycling and sustainable development in agriculture.