Transcriptomic and Physiological Effects of Superabsorbent Polymer (SAP) Seed Coatings on Maize under Drought Stress

Drought significantly threatens global food security by impeding staple crop growth. While superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) offer a short-term solution for alleviating drought stress, their underlying molecular mechanisms in maize remain largely unexplored. This study addresses this critical research gap by pioneering mRNA-sequencing to comprehensively investigate SAPs' molecular and biological effects in maize, providing the first detailed transcriptomic understanding of their drought-mitigating roles and offering a valuable public dataset for plant breeding. This study presents 10 mRNA sequencing samples from maize seedlings across five treatment groups: two fossil-based SAPs (MERCK, SWT), one natural-based SAP (ABG), a drought-stressed control (CS), and a well-watered control (CN). Seedlings were treated for seven days under International Seed Testing Association protocols. For mRNA-seq, indexed cDNA libraries were sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq X Plus platform. This comprehensive dataset, consisting of two biological replicates per group, represents the first public mRNA-seq dataset exploring SAP-mediated drought resilience in maize.