Project code: 663PED ⁄ 2022
 

Contract no.: PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021-2151
 

Financing source: state budget

The project has as objectives the obtaining by electron beam processing and testing at laboratory level and protected spaces (greenhouse), of a new superabsorbent and biodegradable polymeric product (BSP), proposed to be used in plant culture, as a sustainable system for efficient delivery of water and biostimulators in soil-plants system. This product will be tested on three species of vegetable plants at the laboratory level (seedlings in pots) and in protected spaces in order to demonstrate the ability of retention and controlled release of the water and biostimulators under different environmental conditions and for different requirements (plant species, type soil, soil moisture, outdoor humidity, temperature), in order to establish a sustainable technology regarding inputs to agriculture.
 

Objectives:

- O.1. Developing of biodegradable superabsorbent polymers for agriculture application, for water stress reduction and for improving the nutritional status in plant cultivation, in order to assure the protection and improvement of natural resources and to increase safety and security of agricultural production.

- O.2. To test and validate at field level of a new biodegradable superabsorbent hydrogel based on acrylic acid (AA), sodium alginate (NaAlg) and organo-montmorillonite clay (OMMT) obtained by a new method, nonpolluting (i.e. irradiation with electron beam, EB).

Expected results:

1. The obtaining by a new, non-polluting method (electron beam processing) of a superabsorbent and biodegradable polymer product (BSP).
2. Establishing technology for using this product, as a sustainable system for efficient delivery of water and biostimulators in the soil-plant system.
3. Validation of applied potential at the greenhouse/solarium level of BSPs materials, using as target three species of Solanaceae family, with a major impact in the agricultural sector (tomatoes, peppers and eggplants).
4. Dissemination of the project results by: publication in indexed ISI journals, participation in conferences, seminars, symposia, congresses, workshops, filing a patent.