Hydrogel management for Eucalyptus grandis cultivation depending on water availability in the soil

• Grant number: 23/13886-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): May 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering - Soil and Water Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Ferrari Putti
• Grantee: Julia Fleuri Barbosa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Engenharia. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Tupã. Tupã , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Water stress is one of the main problems facing Brazilian agronomy. With a subtropical climate, high temperatures cause high evapotranspiration rates, intensifying the effects caused by water deficit. Thus, the use of polymers, such as hydrogels, in water deficit retention is a strategy that has demonstrated great advantages and efficiency. Thus, understanding how to optimize this resource is of great interest to the 4.0 agricultural industry. The aim of this work is to study the efficiency of different hydrogel treatments for Eucalyputus grandis, depending on the availability of water in the soil. The experiment will be carried out at the Faculty of Sciences and Engineering, FCE/UNESP, with three different levels of available water capacity (40, 60 and 80% of CAD). Biochemical and morphophysiological parameters will be assessed, as well as the increase in leaf temperature due to the plant's metabolic activity being compromised by water stress, thus generating oxidative stress caused by an increase in the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing irreversible damage to the plant. Biometric, biochemical and physiological parameters of the plant will be assessed. To determine thermographic images, a camera coupled with sensors will be used to infer the plant's surface temperature.