Rotbuchensetzlinge nach 27 Tagen ohne Bewässerung, mit und ohne RETENTIS®: Topfpflanzen an Tag 27: links mit 2 % RETENTIS® grün, rechts nur Erde vertrocknet

Drought stress experiment with beech seedlings

13 days longer under drought stress: RETENTIS® in a trial with European beech

Dry periods are a major challenge, especially for young trees. What matters is how long enough water remains available in the root zone after rain or irrigation.

In a drought stress test with one-year-old European beech seedlings, researchers examined how adding RETENTIS® affects the water balance of the substrate and the vitality of the plants.

Day 17 without RETENTIS®, day 30 with RETENTIS®

The result shows a clear difference: in the control group without RETENTIS®, half of the plants were classified as dried out as early as day 17. In the variant with RETENTIS®, this point was not reached until day 30.

Under the conditions of the trial, the beech seedlings thus remained vital for 13 days longer, even though no further water was added after the initial watering.

Drought stress trial with European beech: comparison without and with RETENTIS
Share of vital beech seedlings over the course of the drought stress test.

Water stays available in the root zone for longer

After a single initial watering, the plants were not watered again for the rest of the trial. At the same time, the pots were weighed regularly to track how the water content of the substrate developed.

The variant with RETENTIS® dried out more slowly. As a result, more water remained available in the substrate over a longer period, exactly where the plant roots can access it.

Water loss in the substrate with and without RETENTIS over 40 days
Development of pot weight as a measure of water loss during the trial.

The results at a glance

  • 13 days longer vitality until 50% of the plants were classified as dried out
  • Slower drying of the substrate with RETENTIS®
  • Longer water availability in the root zone during the dry phase
  • RETENTIS® was mixed into the substrate once before the start of the trial

How was the trial carried out?

For the trial, one-year-old European beech seedlings were grown in pots. The trial variant received RETENTIS® at a rate of 20 g/L of substrate, while the control group was set up without RETENTIS®.

After an initial watering on day 0, no further water was added during the trial. The vitality of the plants and the water loss, measured via pot weight, were recorded regularly.

This allowed a direct comparison of how long the plants could manage with the water available in the substrate.

What does this mean in practice?

Longer dry periods can be critical for young trees, especially during establishment. RETENTIS® is worked directly into the root zone and helps keep water in the soil or substrate for longer after rainfall or irrigation.

The beech trial shows how this additional water storage can affect the duration of water availability and the vitality of young plants under severe drought stress.

Trial: Thünen Institute on behalf of Deutsche Bodenhilfsstoffgesellschaft GmbH | 2024

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