Abstract
Agriculture in arid regions, such as the Yaqui Valley in Sonora, faces water availability limitations that affect seed germination and early crop establishment; therefore, alternatives are needed to improve these processes under water-stressed conditions. In this study, the germination of Sorghum sp. seeds was evaluated using biodegradable hydrogels based on natural polysaccharides and humic acid (HA) as a substrate. Four hydrogel formulations (G0, G12, GK0, and GK12) were analyzed and compared with a control medium (PDA) by evaluating germination percentage and biometric parameters, including fresh and dry biomass and chlorophyll content. All hydrogel treatments reached 100 % germination, outperforming the control (55 %). In addition, seedlings grown on hydrogels showed higher biomass and chlorophyll content. Treatments G12 and GK12 exhibited the best performance across all evaluated variables. Overall, the results indicate that polysaccharide-based hydrogels, particularly those enriched with HA, can serve as effective substrates for sorghum germination and have potential applications in agricultural systems in arid regions.
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