There is a demand to use environmentally friendly
seed coatings made from natural polymers due to
contamination of soils and the surrounding environment
with toxic and persistent materials (Zeng and Wang,
2010; Zeng and Zhang, 2010). With climate change
and the unpredictability of rainfall, the development
of green technologies that can provide both
environmental protection and drought resistance in crops
has become a matter of great importance (Guan et al.,
2014; Kneipp, 2008).
This project uses water-absorbent polymers as seed
coating materials in order to support sustainable
agriculture and provide solutions to the food crisis. The
work investigates the difference in seed germination and
seed vigour of Durum wheat seeds coated with a
synthetic linear Polyacrylamide (PA) polymer versus a
novel Agar/ι-Carrageenan (AC) blended natural
hydrogel. Tests were undertaken using ideal growth
conditions (80% moisture levels) and simulated drought
conditions (40% moisture levels) in the laboratory.