Hindawi Publishing Corporation International Journal of Polymer Science Volume 2013, Article ID 435073, 6 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/435073 Research Article Potential of Cellulose-Based Superabsorbent Hydrogels as Water Reservoir in Agriculture C. Demitri, F. Scalera, M. Madaghiele, A. Sannino, and A. Maffezzoli Department of Engineering for Innovation, University of Salento, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy Correspondence should be addressed to C. Demitri; christian.demitri@unisalento.it Received 19 July 2013; Revised 26 November 2013; Accepted 6 December 2013 Academic Editor: Aihua He Copyright © 2013 C. Demitri et al. his is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. he present work deals with the development of a biodegradable superabsorbent hydrogel, based on cellulose derivatives, for the optimization of water resources in agriculture, horticulture and, more in general, for instilling a wiser and savvier approach to water consumption. he sorption capability of the proposed hydrogel was irstly assessed, with speciic regard to two variables that might play a key role in the soil environment, that is, ionic strength and pH. Moreover, a preliminary evaluation of the hydrogel potential as water reservoir in agriculture was performed by using the hydrogel in experimental greenhouses, for the cultivation of tomatoes. he soil-water retention curve, in the presence of diferent hydrogel amounts, was also analysed. he preliminary results showed that the material allowed an eicient storage and sustained release of water to the soil and the plant roots. Although further investigations should be performed to completely characterize the interaction between the hydrogel and the soil, such indings suggest that the envisaged use of the hydrogel on a large scale might have a revolutionary impact on the optimization of water resources management in agriculture. 1. Introduction Superabsorbent hydrogels are a particular class of macromo- lecular gels, obtained by chemical stabilization of hydrophilic polymers in a three-dimensional network, in which the dispersed phase is water, present in substantial quantity. Cur- rently, superabsorbent hydrogels are widely used as absorbent core for hygiene products (such as baby diapers), and this attractive business has motivated the interest of multinational companies toward the development of new technologies, with focus on both the “chemical deinition” and the production processes of these materials [1–5]. However, most of the superabsorbents that are currently on the market are acrylate-based products; hence, they are not biodegradable and, most importantly, some concerns exist about their toxicity for use in agriculture or for any appli- cations related to human consumption. As a result, the re- newed attention of institutions and public opinion towards the Environment has led manufacturers of hydrogel-based products to consider the development of biodegradable superabsorbents [6–13]. Sannino and coworkers developed and patented a novel class of cellulose-based polyelectrolyte hydrogels, totally biodegradable and biocompatible, whose swelling capability can be modulated by adjusting several synthesis parameters [14–20]. Such hydrogels may thus absorb up to 1 litre of water or aqueous solutions per gram of dry material. he material can be produced in the dry state either in powder form or as a bulk with a well-deined shape (in this regard, it is worth noting that the material displays a strong memory of its shape ater swelling). Additionally, the hydrogel can be loaded with small molecules, for example, nutrients, to be released in a controlled manner, depending on swelling-deswelling transitions [13]. he aim of this study was to investigate the potential of cellulose-based hydrogels, crosslinked by means of a water- soluble carbodiimide, as a system for the sustained release of water (and nutrients) to plant roots, for agriculture and horticulture in arid and desert areas. he biocompatibility of this class of hydrogels had been previously conirmed [17, 18] and suggested their possible application in agriculture. he hydrogel is envisaged to be produced in form of powder,