Scribd
Upload
48 views12 pages

Lec. 03.field Capacity

The document discusses key concepts related to soil water including field capacity, available soil water, and permanent wilting point. It defines these terms and explains how much water is retained at each stage and the factors that influence water holding capacity like soil texture.

Uploaded by

Nivedha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
48 views12 pages

Lec. 03.field Capacity

The document discusses key concepts related to soil water including field capacity, available soil water, and permanent wilting point. It defines these terms and explains how much water is retained at each stage and the factors that influence water holding capacity like soil texture.

Uploaded by

Nivedha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 12

Field capacity, Available soil water

and
Permanent wilting point

Dr. K. Venkatesan
Professor (CRP)
The water cycle
The chief source of water to the soil is rain.

After the rains, a part of the water drains away. This is called
as runaway water and it is not available to the plants.

A part of the water percolates downwards through large pores


between the soil particles under the influence of gravity and is known
as gravitational water.
It reaches to the low water table and goes beyond the root zone.

Alternatively, a good amount of water is retained by the soil


particles and is called as Field Capacity
• Soil infiltration
– Clay = slow

– Sand = fast
Forms of Soil Water Storage
Water is held in soil in various ways and not all of it is available to
plants

Chemical water is an integral part of the molecular structure of


soil minerals. It can be held tightly by electrostatic forces to the
surfaces of clay crystals and other minerals and is unavailable to
plants

Gravitational water is held in large soil pores and rapidly drains


out under the action of gravity within a day or so after rain. Plants
can only make use of gravitational water for a few days after rain

Capillary water is held in pores that are small enough to hold


water against gravity, but not so tightly that roots cannot absorb
it. This water occurs as a film around soil particles and in the
pores between them and is the main source of plant moisture.
Stages of Water Holding
Field Capacity of Soil
the amount of water retained by the soil after the drainage of
gravitational water has become very slow.
field capacity water content retained in soil at −33 J/kg (or
−0.33 bar)

Field capacity is affected by


soil profile,
soil texture
soil temperature
Water Holding Capacity

In a fully saturated soils, the percentage of moisture held in


the form of film, is called Water Holding capacity of the soil.
Permanent wilting point (PWP)

the minimum soil moisture at which a plant wilts and can no


longer recover its turgidity when placed in a saturated atmosphere.

wilting point water content in soil at −1500 J/kg (or −15 bars –
1.5 MPa )

At this point, water present only in smallest micro pores and


plant cannot normally use this water

At –30 bars, water is held so tightly and the water is in non-


liquid vapour phase

At –60 bars, vapour water also is absent which is called


ultimate wilting point
Available soil water

The amount of water retained between field capacity and permanent


wilting point is available for plant growth (Between 0.1 to –15 bars)
Water extraction, wet sponge - As the sponge When the sponge is
Beginning with the sponge at becomes nearly dry, much
field capacity, when all progressively more energy is
gravitational water had drier, more energy required to extract
drained, begin to squeeze the is required to just a little bit of
sponge. extract water. (It water.
At first it takes little energy to has to be
extract water. squeezed harder.)
Field Wilting Available
Texture
Capacity point water
Coarse sand 0.6 0.2 0.4
Fine sand 1.0 0.4 0.6
Loamy sand 1.4 0.6 0.8
Sandy loam 2.0 0.8 1.2
Light sandy clay
2.3 1.0 1.3
loam
Loam 2.7 1.2 1.5
Sandy clay loam 2.8 1.3 1.5
Clay loam 3.2 1.4 1.8
Clay 4.0 2.5 1.5
Self-mulching
4.5 2.5 2.0
clay

You might also like