Cuban investigations based on the use of highly absorbent polymers to save water indicated that their use increased the height of the plants significantly, the amount of leaves and the components of achievement in corn growing planted on a red ferric compacted ground.  

According to the web site of the Ministry of Agriculture the study carried out by the Instituto de Investigaciones de Ingeniería Agrícola, together with the Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana José Antonio Echeverría, specifies that the polymer in its initial form is a powder or granulated which absorbs water until it becomes a gel, called «hydroge». It releases the liquid later when the environmental humidity conditions change  

The experiments carried out showed that in the treatment without polymers to keep the level of humidity on the ground four irrigations more had to be done and the volume of consumed   water was higher than 984,0 cubic meters per hectare. Nevertheless the agronomic productivity of the water in the area with polymers was 2,98 kg -m3 and without polymers it was 1,77 kg -m3.

More information. Effects of polymers on the water economy

https://reviberpol.org/2020/01/01/efecto-de-los-polimeros-super-absorbentes-en-la-economia-del-agua-para-uso-agricola/

The use of this product, in spite of its cost, is profitable from the economical point of view, a better  cost – benefit relation in a range of 3,89 times  showing its possible application in production conditions.   

Source: Granma