2.2.2. Determination of the Soil-Water Holding Capacity (WHCsoil)

Soil was inserted into polyethylene cylinders 10 cm long with 4 cm diameter. The bottoms of the cylinders were covered with a fine polymer grid and filter paper (MN 640 W 70 mm). All cylinders were filled with soil to a height of 5–7 cm and saturated in an 8 cm high water bath for 3 h. After the saturation period, the cylinders were placed on a water saturated sand bath for 2 h to allow unbound water within the soil-filled cylinders to drain to reach the equivalent of field capacity. The soil samples were then weighed wet, as well as after oven-drying at 103 ± 2 ◦C for 24 h. WHCsoil [%] was calculated according to Equation (3) below. The compost soil batch deliver WHCsoil of 105%:

$$\text{WHC}\_{\text{soil}} = \left(\frac{\mathbf{m}\_{\text{s}} - \mathbf{m}\_{0}}{\mathbf{m}\_{0}}\right) \times 100\tag{3}$$

where:

