Hydrogels for keeping and providing water in agriculture cultivars

In agriculture, the hydrogels can be used to moisture the soil, where their main function is to keep and provide water in the agriculture cultivars. To make hydrogels application suitable it is necessary to adequate their physical properties, such as the mechanical resistance and the swelling degree, which should allow the sowing and the growth of the plant during the cultivar. In this study starch and collagen hydrogels were synthesized, presenting resistance to handle when dry, and when in water they absorbed from 5 to 20 times their dry-weight.