라포나이트 하이드로겔 적용이 토양의 질 및 상추(Lactuca sativa L.) 생육에 미치는 영향 평가

초록

Climate change, one of humankind’s major challenges, has caused drought to become more frequent in recent years, and these drought conditions have negatively affected crop production by decreasing the availability of soil water to plants. Therefore, efficient soil moisture management is essential, and adding soil amendment is considered one of the best management practices. Recently, hydrogels have gained attention as potential soil amendments in agriculture because they can improve soil structure and water-holding capacity due to their hydrophilic properties. Hence, the current study was carried out to examine the effects of laponite-contained hydrogel (LHD) application on soil characteristics and lettuce yield under field conditions. The LHD was applied to upland soil at four application rates (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% (w/w)), and lettuce was subsequently cultivated for seven weeks. Applying 1% hydrogel increased soil water content by 94% and decreased soil bulk density by 22%. Also, hydrogel applications significantly improved the soil’s biological properties, such as β-glucosidase, phosphatase dehydrogenase, colony-forming unit, and soil respiration. The highest dry-weight lettuce yield was observed from soil that received 1% hydrogel, which was attributed to improved soil physical and biological properties. Furthermore, it reduced the impact of drought stress, as evidenced by the reduced proline accumulation in lettuce. Thus, LHD can be used as a soil amendment in agriculture.

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