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Volume 15
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10.3390/plants15040667
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Article

Effects of a Hydrogel Polymer on the Physiology and Antioxidant Activity of Naturally Colored Cotton Cultivars Under Water Deficit

by
Edilene Daniel de Araújo
1,
Lauriane Almeida dos Anjos Soares
2,
Geovani Soares de Lima
2,*,
Kheila Gomes Nunes
3,
Denis Soares Costa
3,
Allesson Ramos de Souza
3,
Nadiana Praça de Souza
3,
Lucyelly Dâmela Araújo Borborema
3,
Thiago Filipe de Lima Arruda
3,
Francisco de Assis da Silva
4,
André Alisson Rodrigues da Silva
5,
Jailton Garcia Ramos
1,
Viviane Farias Silva
1,
Alberto Soares de Melo
6,
Hans Raj Gheyi
3 and
Luciano Marcelo Fallé Saboya
3
1
Postgraduate Program in Engineering and Management of Natural Resources, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58430-380, Brazil
2
Academic Unit of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Campina Grande, Pombal 58840-000, Brazil
3
Academic Unit of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande 58430-380, Brazil
4
Academic Unit of Agronomy, Federal University of Western Pará, Juruti 68170-000, CEP, Brazil
5
Academic Unit of Agronomy, Federal University of Western Pará, Monte Alegre 68220-000, Brazil
6
Department of Biological Sciences, State University of Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-900, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Plants 2026, 15(4), 667; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15040667
Submission received: 23 January 2026 / Revised: 17 February 2026 / Accepted: 20 February 2026 / Published: 23 February 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Crop Irrigation System and Management)
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Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of hydrogel polymer application on the antioxidant activity and physiological performance of colored-fiber cotton cultivars grown under different levels of water restriction. Two experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions. In the first experiment, the effects of the hydrogel polymer, cultivars, and irrigation replacement levels were evaluated; in the second, the residual effect of the hydrogel polymer applied in the first experiment was assessed using the same cultivars and irrigation depths. Water restriction negatively affected relative water content, gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and antioxidant activity, and increased electrolyte leakage in cotton cultivars. Water deficit reduced relative water content, gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and antioxidant activity, while increasing electrolyte leakage in the cultivars. However, hydrogel polymer application up to 6.5 g dm−3 of soil and its residual effect in subsequent cycles were beneficial. The polymer increased relative water content and antioxidant activity, in addition to improving gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence, suggesting maintenance of plant physiological health. Residual polymer doses also enhanced relative water content, antioxidant activity, gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence in plants during Experiment II.
Keywords: Gossypium hirsutum L.; soil conditioner; abiotic stress; physiological characteristics; agricultural waste Gossypium hirsutum L.; soil conditioner; abiotic stress; physiological characteristics; agricultural waste

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MDPI and ACS Style

Araújo, E.D.d.; Soares, L.A.d.A.; Lima, G.S.d.; Nunes, K.G.; Costa, D.S.; Souza, A.R.d.; Souza, N.P.d.; Borborema, L.D.A.; Arruda, T.F.d.L.; da Silva, F.d.A.; et al. Effects of a Hydrogel Polymer on the Physiology and Antioxidant Activity of Naturally Colored Cotton Cultivars Under Water Deficit. Plants 2026, 15, 667. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15040667

AMA Style

Araújo EDd, Soares LAdA, Lima GSd, Nunes KG, Costa DS, Souza ARd, Souza NPd, Borborema LDA, Arruda TFdL, da Silva FdA, et al. Effects of a Hydrogel Polymer on the Physiology and Antioxidant Activity of Naturally Colored Cotton Cultivars Under Water Deficit. Plants. 2026; 15(4):667. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15040667

Chicago/Turabian Style

Araújo, Edilene Daniel de, Lauriane Almeida dos Anjos Soares, Geovani Soares de Lima, Kheila Gomes Nunes, Denis Soares Costa, Allesson Ramos de Souza, Nadiana Praça de Souza, Lucyelly Dâmela Araújo Borborema, Thiago Filipe de Lima Arruda, Francisco de Assis da Silva, and et al. 2026. "Effects of a Hydrogel Polymer on the Physiology and Antioxidant Activity of Naturally Colored Cotton Cultivars Under Water Deficit" Plants 15, no. 4: 667. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15040667

APA Style

Araújo, E. D. d., Soares, L. A. d. A., Lima, G. S. d., Nunes, K. G., Costa, D. S., Souza, A. R. d., Souza, N. P. d., Borborema, L. D. A., Arruda, T. F. d. L., da Silva, F. d. A., Silva, A. A. R. d., Ramos, J. G., Silva, V. F., Melo, A. S. d., Gheyi, H. R., & Saboya, L. M. F. (2026). Effects of a Hydrogel Polymer on the Physiology and Antioxidant Activity of Naturally Colored Cotton Cultivars Under Water Deficit. Plants, 15(4), 667. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15040667

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