Shaping sustainable agriculture with hydrogels: A bibliometric analysis of advances and research frontiers

Abstract

This study outlines the research fields regarding hydrogel applications in agriculture, which include water-retention materials and multifunctional systems for soil enhancement, nutrient management and ecological remediation. Keyword co-occurrence analysis was performed using VOSviewer with a minimum threshold of five occurrences and a cluster size of seven using Scopus database data (2019–2025), resulting in six major thematic clusters. The findings show a significant increase in related publications since 2019, with China being the primary contributor. Six interconnected clusters highlight research frontiers in agro‑physiology and water-use management, biocompatibility and bio-interfaces, adsorptive remediation, water retention and sustainable agriculture, hydrogel engineering, and soil remediation. Eco-functional hydrogels that support climate-resilient and resource-efficient farming are emerging from these clusters of materials science and agricultural sustainability. The study provides valuable insights into global collaborative networks and thematic evolution, despite its limitation to Scopus-indexed English publications. This study's visualisation and understanding of hydrogel-related knowledge structures and biodegradable hydrogels affects sustainable agriculture and circular bioeconomy in a novel way.