A team of Italian researchers has introduced a remarkable innovation that underscores Italy’s strong role in advancing sustainable agriculture. Through collaboration between the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Genoa and the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (UniBz), scientists have developed a fully biodegradable, super-absorbent hydrogel designed for soilless farming environments such as hydroponics.
What makes this Italian project notable is its focus on combining ecological responsibility with cutting-edge material science. The hydrogel is derived from biopolymers – specifically carrageenan extracted from red algae – and enriched with whole-algae extracts that act as biostimulants, enhancing nutrient uptake and stress tolerance in plants.
