The Use of Wood Fiber for Reducing Risks of Hydrophobicity in Peat-Based Substrates

Agronomy

BrianE. Jackson¹  WilliamC. Fonteno¹  Stan Durand²  Jean-Charles Michel² 

[1] Department of Horticultural Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA;EPHor, L’Institut Agro, 49045 Angers, France;

关键词: peat;    wood fiber;    rewetting;    wettability;    water retention;    physical properties;   

DOI  :  10.3390/agronomy11050907

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Peat substrates are well known to become hydrophobic during desiccation, thus degrading their water retention properties. Synthetic wetting agents are commonly incorporated to limit the risk of hydrophobicity, but substrates companies are searching for more sustainable alternatives. To that end, the effect of wood fiber addition in peat-based mixes was measured using contact angles and hydration curves. The study was carried out on two raw materials (white milled peat and wood fiber) and binary mixes. The results showed a shift from hydrophilic to more hydrophobic character with a decrease in the ability to rewet of peat-based substrates in relation to the intensity of drying, whereas wood fiber remained hydrophilic. Increasing wood fiber content in peat-based mixes improved the rehydration efficiency, but with a lower intensity of that measured with synthetic wetting agent addition. Our results highlighted the hydrophilic nature of wood fiber and demonstrated an additional benefit of wood fiber use in peat-based growing media.

【 授权许可】

Unknown