WATER RETENTION POLYMERS TO COPE WITH DROUGHT DRIVEN BY CLIMATE CHANGE FOR A SUSTAINABLE VITICULTURE

Grapes have been extensively cultivated across the world due to their nutritious properties. However, ever worsening climate change events threaten the sustainability of grape production over most of the world. Grapevines suffer when sudden heavy watering followed by extended dry periods occurs, although most of them are known as resistant to water scarcity. For a sustainable viticulture on the face of climate change, various adaptation strategies are available to enhance viticulture management in anticipation of drought conditions. Some of them are the use of drought tolerant rootstock, proper managing the soil structure, mulching, compost utilization, beneficial plant-microorganism relationships, canopy management, applying deficit irrigation, shifting vineyards to more suitable areas, plant activator treatments, soil amendments including water retention polymers etc. Water retaining polymers have been reported to efficiently withhold water in soil for longer periods, besides making the soil structure much airy. Many studies indicated that water retaining polymers (hydrogels as 3-dimensional polymer networks) can reduce water consumption, minimize soil erosion and enhance soil hydraulic conductivity. Natural biopolymer-based hydrogels, including starch, chitosan and alginate-based polymers, offer benefits of environmental safety and sustainable productivity. Artificial hydrogels, formed via physical or chemical interactions, can be tailored for specific applications by modifying their mechanical strength, porosity and swelling behavior. However, challenges persist, including contrasting observations on absorption capacity and the increasing frequency of drought events due to climate change. Addressing these challenges requires the development of drought-tolerant crop varieties alongside innovative hydrogel-based approaches for sustainable agriculture under the changing climatic conditions.   Keywords: Water deficit, global warming, water management, sustainable viticulture