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Chapter -2
Soil-Water-Plant Relationships
2.1 Introduction
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2.2. TYPES OF SOIL WATER
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USDA Triangular soil Textural classification Chart
3%
25%
72%
Sandy Clay Loam
Fig. 2.3: USDA textural triangle (United State Department Of
Agriculture)
•The overall quality of the soil structure may be
evaluated in terms of its:
•Porosity,
•Aggregation,
•Cohesiveness,
•Permeability for water or air.
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•Volume and mass relationships
Volume Mass
Relations Relations
Vt Vs Vw Va
Mt Ms Mw Ma
Fig. 2.4: Schematic diagram of the soil as a three-phase
system
b
A. Bulk density – ( ) b
Mass per unit volume of soil comprising
the solid and gaseous phase in exclusion
of the liquid phase is called bulk density.
That means it describes the soil as it is in
the natural state including pore spaces.
In other words, bulk density is the weight
of oven dry soil per unit total volume.
It is sometimes referred to as
apparent specific gravity.
Ms Ms
b
Vt Vs Va Vw
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• Bulk density is normally expressed on
a dry weight basis : 1.0 – 1.8 gm/cm3 for
mineral soils.
• Determination: Soil Core method
Particle density - s
Ms
s
Vs
Thus the particle density of any soil is constant and does
not vary with the amount of space between the particles. It
is defined as the mass (weight) per unit volume of soil
particles (soil solids).
Total pore space and porosity (E)
Total pore space (E) is the ratio of the
volume of pores (voids) to the total
volume of soil and is expressed in %. It is
the volume of soil occupied by air and
water.
Vf Va Vw Vt Vs Vs
E 1
Vt Vt Vt Vt
E 1 b
s
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Soil Water Content
Soil water content is expressed on mass basis or
volume basis. It is measured using gravimetric,
neutron scattering, gamma ray, capacitance
method, time domain reflectrometer.
1. Gravimetric method (on mass or volume basis)
Mass basis:
W2 W3
w 100
W3 W1
W1 = weight of empty aluminium box, gm
W2 = weight of box + moist soil sample, gm
W3 = weight of box + dried soil sample, gm
Volume basis:
Vw Vw b
Vs V f v w
Vt w
The gravimetric method is still the most widely used
technique to determine the soil water content and is often
taken as a standard for the calibration of other methods
A disadvantage is that it is laborious, because samples in
duplicate or in triplicate are required to compensate for
errors and variability.
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Water Movement Between Soils and Plants
plant = solute + matric + pressure
Matric Forces: Water’s tendency to adhere to
container walls.
pressure is the reduction in water potential due to
negative pressure created by water evaporating from
leaves.
As long as plant > soil, water flows from the soil to
the plant.
Types of soil water
1. Gravitational water
When sufficient water is added to soil, water gradually
fills the pore system expelling air completely from soil.
Water moving downwards through soil under gravity.
The water tension at this stage is 0.33 atm. or less.
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2. Capillary water
-With increasing supply of water, the water film held around
soil particles thickens.
- Water enters the pores until the soil-water tension equal to
the gravity force.
- This soil water tension is about 1– 0.33atm.
- This water is available to plants.
- Factors that influence the amount of capillary water in the
soil are the structure, texture and organic matter content of
the soil.
- Optimum growth of plant takes place when the soil water
is maintained at near field capacity
3. Hygroscopic water
The water that an oven dry soil absorbs.
Water held tightly to the surface of soil
particles by adsorption forces.
Occurs as a very thin film over the surface of
soil particles.
held tenaciously at a tension of 31 atm.
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Saturation
Gravitational water
Field capacity
Capillary water (Plant available
water)
Permanent welting point
Unavailable water
Hygroscopic coeff.
Hygroscopic water
Air dry
Oven dry
Fig. 2.5: Illustration of soil water constants
BASIC CONCEPTS OF SOIL - WATER DYNAMICS
Forms of energy recognized in soil-water
movement are:
1. The kinetic Energy- due to motion of water through
soil layer.
- negligible due to the slow motion
2. The potential Energy –due to position of soil water
within soil body & internal conditions.
- responsible in determining soil- water status.
The magnitude the force is the difference b/n soil water
potential at two different points.
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The primary forces acting on soil water held within a
rigid soil matrix under isothermal conditions can be
conveniently grouped as:
i - Matric forces:
resulting from interactions of the solid phase with the
liquid and gaseous phases;
eg. adsorptive forces and capillary forces
- capillarity caused by liquid–gas interfaces
- adhesion of water molecules to solid surfaces
Cohesion water & adhesion water
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ii - Osmotic forces:
owing to differences in chemical composition of
soil solution;
- Soil water …dissolved salts + other solutes →soil
solution
- Presence of solutes in soil water decreases the
potential energy of water in the soil.
- The potential energy of water in the solution is
lower than the reference state (pure water).
iii- Body/Gravitational forces:
induced by gravitational and other (e.g.,
centrifugal) inertial force fields.
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Soil-water potential Concept
The effect of a force on soil water may conveniently be
described by potential energy of soil water in a
particular force field.
The forces governing soil-water flow can be described
by the energy concept.
According to this principle, water moves from points
with higher energy status to points with lower energy
status.
The energy status of water is simply called 'water
potential'.
The total soil water potential can be written as:
t m O g
t = total potential
m = matric potential
O = osmotic potential
g = gravitational potential
OR ht hm hO hg
•The matric head (hm) in unsaturated soil is negative
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Measurement of soil water
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