Hydraulic and physical properties of stonewool substrates in horticulture

Water retention curves, measured with sand tables, were also derived from these measurements for sorption and drying in order to determine the hysteresis properties of the medium. The experimental results were fitted to the van Genuchten model to identify the model parameters and capillary capacitance from the retention curves. Contrary to the classical description of the hysteresis, a non-closure of the drying-sorption cycles could also be observed for the first drying-sorption cycles.