Evaluation of cellulose- based hydrogels and dendro-hydrogels for enhanced plant growth, yield and leaf quality in Tobacco Production KRK75

Abstract

This research project is investigating the efficacy of cellulose-based hydrogels and dendro-hydrogels in improving the growth, yield, and leaf quality of tobacco variety KRK75. The research was mainly fueled by the increasing challenge of water shortages and poor soil water holding capacity in Zimbabwe, which negatively affected small scale tobacco farmers. The experiment was conducted at Maranatha Farm near Harare using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with seven treatments across three blocks. The treatments included standard fertilizer and various application rates (2g, 3g, and 5g per planting hole) of cellulose and dendro-hydrogels. The results from this research project demonstrated that hydrogel treatments significantly (p<0.001) improved vegetative growth and yield. Treatment 7 (Standard Fertilizer plus dendro-hydrogel at 5g/planting hole) was the most effective, producing the tallest plants (98.4 cm) and the highest yield (167.67g/plant). Treatment 5 (5g cellulose hydrogel) produced the thickest stems (17.2 mm). While hydrogels significantly enhanced physical growth parameters, leaf quality after air-curing did not show statistically significant differences across treatments (p=0.683), likely due to curing method limitations. Overall, the study confirms that dendro and cellulose-based hydrogels are viable technologies for enhancing water use efficiency and productivity in tobacco farming under water-constrained conditions.