Articles
A PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO WETTABILITY AND HYDRATION OF HORTICULTURAL SUBSTRATES
Article number
1013_15
Pages
139 – 146
Language
English
Abstract
Moisture retention has been a key property in substrate analysis for many years.
This work explores the relationship between wettability and hydration using a low cost, practical system.
Hydration curves and maximum hydration were used to determine three indexes: HE 1 (initial hydration), HE 3 (a watered-in value) and HE 10 (comparing irrigated vs maximum values). Coir, pine bark and sand at 45% moisture and wetting agent reached maximum values with one hydration.
However, both coir and peat captured less than half their max in initial hydration when initial moisture was reduced to 30%. Values obtained with this method numerically de-scribed common behaviors of substrates, moisture content and wetting agents.
This work explores the relationship between wettability and hydration using a low cost, practical system.
Hydration curves and maximum hydration were used to determine three indexes: HE 1 (initial hydration), HE 3 (a watered-in value) and HE 10 (comparing irrigated vs maximum values). Coir, pine bark and sand at 45% moisture and wetting agent reached maximum values with one hydration.
However, both coir and peat captured less than half their max in initial hydration when initial moisture was reduced to 30%. Values obtained with this method numerically de-scribed common behaviors of substrates, moisture content and wetting agents.
Authors
W.C. Fonteno, J.S. Fields , B.E. Jackson
Keywords
hydrophobicity, water retention, container capacity, physical properties
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