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<p>Water scarcity and rising irrigation costs pose major challenges to tomato production in semi-arid regions. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) have been proposed as a means of stabilizing moisture; however, field-based dose–response relationships remain insufficiently characterized for agronomic guidance. This study investigated five per-plant doses of a potassium polyacrylate SAP (D0 = 0, D1 = 1.00, D2 = 1.75, D3 = 2.00, and D4 = 4.00&#xa0;g/plant) using a randomized complete block design in the Upper Cheliff Plain, Algeria. Soil attributes (water content, pH, electrical conductivity, and temperature), nutrient availability (N, P, and K), and plant performance traits (total plant fresh weight; fruit weight, length, and width) were monitored across phenological stages. Dose effects were assessed using a non-parametric framework combining the Kruskal–Wallis test for overall differences and Dunn’s test with Bonferroni adjustment for pairwise comparisons. Dose–response patterns were further described using linear and quadratic regressions were used to describe dose-response patterns. Significant treatment effects (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) were observed for most variables, revealing non-linear responses that peaked at intermediate doses. Soil water content increased up to D3 before declining, pH remained neutral to slightly alkaline, and electrical conductivity peaked at an intermediate dose. Crop performance was optimal near D2: plant fresh weight increased from 2.75&#xa0;kg (D0) to 11.84&#xa0;kg (D2), and mean fruit weight from 97.7&#xa0;g (D0) to 170.4&#xa0;g (D2). Quadratic models better captured response dynamics and identified optimal doses of 2.1–2.5&#xa0;g/plant, depending on the variable. Under semi-arid conditions, a moderate SAP dose (1.75–2.0&#xa0;g/plant), applied locally within the 0–10&#xa0;cm soil layer, appears to offer the best compromise between improved soil water retention and crop yield, whereas higher doses increase variability without providing consistent additional benefits. This study establishes a dose-per-plant framework for precision water management in arid agriculture.</p>

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Dose optimization of a superabsorbent polymer to improve the agricultural efficiency of processing tomato under arid and semi-arid conditions

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月29日

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  • Hamida Taibi,
  • Abdelkader Bouderbala

摘要

Water scarcity and rising irrigation costs pose major challenges to tomato production in semi-arid regions. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) have been proposed as a means of stabilizing moisture; however, field-based dose–response relationships remain insufficiently characterized for agronomic guidance. This study investigated five per-plant doses of a potassium polyacrylate SAP (D0 = 0, D1 = 1.00, D2 = 1.75, D3 = 2.00, and D4 = 4.00 g/plant) using a randomized complete block design in the Upper Cheliff Plain, Algeria. Soil attributes (water content, pH, electrical conductivity, and temperature), nutrient availability (N, P, and K), and plant performance traits (total plant fresh weight; fruit weight, length, and width) were monitored across phenological stages. Dose effects were assessed using a non-parametric framework combining the Kruskal–Wallis test for overall differences and Dunn’s test with Bonferroni adjustment for pairwise comparisons. Dose–response patterns were further described using linear and quadratic regressions were used to describe dose-response patterns. Significant treatment effects (p < 0.05) were observed for most variables, revealing non-linear responses that peaked at intermediate doses. Soil water content increased up to D3 before declining, pH remained neutral to slightly alkaline, and electrical conductivity peaked at an intermediate dose. Crop performance was optimal near D2: plant fresh weight increased from 2.75 kg (D0) to 11.84 kg (D2), and mean fruit weight from 97.7 g (D0) to 170.4 g (D2). Quadratic models better captured response dynamics and identified optimal doses of 2.1–2.5 g/plant, depending on the variable. Under semi-arid conditions, a moderate SAP dose (1.75–2.0 g/plant), applied locally within the 0–10 cm soil layer, appears to offer the best compromise between improved soil water retention and crop yield, whereas higher doses increase variability without providing consistent additional benefits. This study establishes a dose-per-plant framework for precision water management in arid agriculture.