Soil Water

Role of Water in Plant

• Structural component
• Maintaining turgidity, temperature, stomata, transportation
and translocation of food,
• Universal solvent, reaction medium, hydrolysis,
photosynthesis,
• Absorption of minerals, germination of seeds etc.
Why we are interested in soil-water relationship?

First, large quantities of water must be supplied to satisfy the

requirement of growing plants and most of it must come from the
soil

Second, Water is the solvent

Known as the universal solvent

Many substances dissolved in
water due to the high polarity
of water molecules
Why we are interested in soil-water relationship?

Third, Soil moisture helps control two important factors for tree
growth-soil air and soil temperature

Fourth, the control of the disposition of water as it strikes the soil

determines to a larger extent the incidenceof soil erosion.
 Related Properties of
Water
• Water is the
solvent
 2.Water As A Way Of
Transport
• Many different substances, such as sap,
are transported by water.
• Sap contain high amounts of water
making them good solvents.
• Being good solvents allows them to
dissolve the substances they are
transporting.
 3. Water As A Way Of
Reactant
• Water, being a good solvent, allows many reactions to
occur.
• Water is used in photosynthesis to make sugar.
• These reactions release oxygen gas, which is vital to
human life.
• Without water in photosynthesis, organisms would not
be able to obtain energy, and life as we know it would
be impossible.
4. Cohesion and Adhesion properties of water
 Soil Water
• Water storage and redistribution are a function of soil pore
space and pore-size distribution, which are governed by texture
and structure
• Generally speaking, clay-rich soils have the largest pore space,
hence the greatest total water-holding capacity.
• However, total water holding capacity does not describe how
much water is available to plants, or how freely water drains in
soil.
• These processes are governed by potential energy.
 Soil Water
• Water is stored and redistributed within soil in response to
differences in potential energy.
• A potential energy gradient dictates soil moisture redistribution
and losses, where water moves from areas of high- to low-
potential energy
• When at or near saturation, soils typically display water potentials
near 0 MPa.
• Negative water potentials arise as the soil dries resulting in
suction or tension on the water allowing the soil to retain water
like a sponge.
 Potential energy of water

The potential energy of water is the energy the water

obtains as a result of being at some elevation (position

PE is Very important in determining the status and

movement of soil water

The ability of water molecules to flow freely inside a given

environment or system can also be measured using water
potential. It is represented by the Greek letter Psi (Ψ) and is
calculated in kilopascals (kPa).
 Potential energy of water

Water potential quantifies the tendency of water to

move from one area to another due to osmosis,
gravity, mechanical pressure or matrix effects as
capillary action

The ability of water molecules to flow freely inside a given

environment or system can also be measured using water
potential. It is represented by the Greek letter Psi (Ψ) and is
calculated in kilopascals (kPa).
 Water Potential
Gradient
The difference between the water potentials of two liquids is known as
the water potential gradient. Water potential is the ability of water to
travel between two locations because of variations in pressure,
dissolved solutes, and other factors.

Ψ = Ψs + Ψp + Ψg
+ Ψm
Here, Ψs represents solute potential,
Ψp represents pressure potential,
Ψg represents gravitational potential, and
Ψm represents the matrix potential
 Water Potential
Gradient
Solute Potential (Ψs)
Osmotic potential, also known as solute potential, is the amount by
which the presence of a solute in pure water reduces the water potential.
The free mobility of the water molecules decreases when solutes are
introduced to pure water.

Pressure Potential (Ψp)

The water potential increases when a pressure greater than
atmospheric pressure is exerted on the solution. A cell becomes turgid
when its internal pressure increases, which also increases its turgor
pressur
https://openpress.usask.ca/soilscience/chapter/soil-
 Water Potential
Gravitational Potential (Ψg)
Gradient
It results from the gravitational force of attraction on the water
potential. It is dependent on the acceleration brought on by gravity.
Since this gravitational potential is so small, it is usually ignored.

Matrix Potential (Ψm)

Matrix Potential is a result of the attraction of water molecules to the
soil solids due to adsorption and capillarity (similar to the sponge).
As the matric potential reduces the degree of freedom of movement of
water relative to the reference reservoir, it is a negative potential.
A dry soil has a very low matric potential, while a wet soil has a higher
matric potential (i.e., closer to zero).
 Water Potential
Gradient
Soil water potential, ψsoil = ψm + ψs
Since matric potential and solute potential are both negative
entities, soil water potential (Ψsoil) is also negative.

When the soil is at the maximum water holding capacity, soil water
has a potential nearer to pure free water (0 kPa);
at field capacity, average Ψsoil is around −0.3 MPa and
at wilting point it is − 15 MPa.
Therefore, the amount of water that can be held in soil between −
15 MPa and − 0.3 MPa soil water potential is taken to be the
available water.
Soil water content and Water Potential
Potential
Soil water
content
As the soil loses water, it dries
through the drainage of the
macropores and can reach the
field capacity.

Represents the boundary

between gravitational water
and capillary water. It is the
upper limit for soil moisture
that is not usable by plants.
 Soil water
As the water content in the
content
soil continues to
decrease, the intensity of the matric forces is
reduced, and the water is maintained by
cohesion forces from water molecules and
mineral particles (capillary forces).

Water retained between saturation and field

capacity is subjected to free drainage for
different periods of time and is considered
unavailable for plant while water held at field
capacity is available to plants
Soil water
content
Soil water
content
Types of Soil
water
 Types of Soil
water
The major part of the soil water gained from rain
or irrigation goes deep into the soil. This water is
drained away by gravity.

Thus plants cannot absorb this water. Gravitational

water moves through the soil under the influence
of gravity and must be removed from the soil
before this can attain field capacity.
 Types of Soil
water
Capillary Water:
The structure and organic matter of the soil
enable the soil to hold water against the force
of gravity.
This water remains in the soil after
gravitational water is drained out and that is in
the form of a film around the soil grains.
This water is called capillary water.
 Types of Soil
Hygroscopic water: water
This water remains around the soil particle
vapor form.
This water is not fit for absorption.
Hygroscopic water is absorbed from the
atmosphere and held very tightly by the soil
particles,
so that it is unavailable to plants in amounts
sufficient for them to survive.
Types of Soil
water
 The Soil–Plant–
atmosphere
continuum (SPAC)
Soil–plant–atmosphere continuum (SPAC) showing
water movement from soil to plants to the atmosphere
and back to the soil.

The flow of water through the SPAC is a major

component of the overall hydrologic cycle. it ties
together many of the processes: interception, surface
runoff, percolation, drainage, evaporation, plant water
uptake, ascent of water to plant leaves, and
transpiration of water from the leaves back into the
atmosphere.

water in soil moves to where its potential energy level

will be lower. This principle applies to water movement
between the soil and the plant root and between the
plant and the atmosphere
If a plant is to absorb water from the
soil, the water potential must be
lower (greater negative value) in the
plant root than in the soil adjacent to
the root.

Likewise, movement up the root and

stem to the leaf cells is in response
to differences in water potential, as is
the movement from leaf surfaces to
the atmosphere.
• Water in the entire SPAC moves from a higher to a
lower moisture potential.
• Note that the moisture potential in the soil is -50 kPa,
dropping to -70 kPa in the root, declining still further
as it moves upward in the stem and into the leaf, and
is very low (-500 kPa) at the leaf– atmosphere
interface, from where
• it moves into the atmosphere, where the moisture
potential is -20,000 kPa.
• Most of the water absorbed by plant roots is
eventually transpired as water vapor, but a significant
proportion may be exuded by roots into soil zones
that are drier than the zones from which the water
was initially taken up—a process termed hydraulic
redistribution.