Chapter -2

Soil-Water-Plant Relationships
 Cont..
 Soil-Water-Plant relationships relate the properties of the soil that
affect the movement, retention and use of water.
 It can be divided & treated as:
 Soil-water relation
 Soil-plant relation
 Plant-water relations
 Plants grow on soils that provide them water and nutrients.
 How much % of the applied water do plants use for growth?
 They absorb the water from soils mainly through roots and use only
1-1.5% of the volume of water absorbed for building their vegetative
structures and performing various physiological and biochemical
activities. The rest of water absorbed is lost through …………????.
 Cont..
 The soil acts as a "bank" or reservoir to store water for crop use.
 Water used by the crop and soil evaporation are withdrawals.
 Soil Suitability for agricultural practices
 Knowledge of the soils with in a potential irrigation area is
essential for
 economic and
technical reasons
 Soil map provides us with detailed information on soils that
are utilized for land capability classification.
This indicates the suitability or unsuitability of the soil for
growing crop
 Land capability classification is an interpretive grouping of soils
based on
 Inherent soil characteristics,
 External land features and
 Environmental factors that may restrict the use of the land
for growing varieties of crops.
 For land capability classification, we need information on:
1) The vulnerability of the soil to various factors that cause soil
damage & decrease in its productivity (we get this from soil map)
2) Its potential for crop production:
Lands are first tentatively placed in different land capability groups
on the basis of slope of the land, erosion and depth of the soil.
 To make the most efficient use of irrigation water.
 An excess or deficit of water hinders the plant growth and reduces the
yield.
 The suitability of soil for agricultural practices may be affected by
 physical and chemical soil characteristics.
 The physical characteristics include
1. Effective soil depth:- The depth of the soil, which can be exploited by
crops, is very important in selecting soils for agricultural purpose
2. Water holding capacity: - This refers to the depth of water that can be held in
the soil and available for plants.
3. Non-capillary porosity: - High values of non- capillary porosity is
desirable, because lower values of porosity and high values of bulk density
hinders root development and expansion.
4. Topography: - A leveled land is the most suitable for agriculture.
5. Texture
6. Soil Structure
7. Soil Consistence: Is the resistance of the soil to deformation or rupture. It
is determined by the cohesive and adhesive properties of the entire soil
mass.
8. Soil Permeability and Hydraulic Conductivity
 Permeability- is the ease with which liquids, gases and roots pass through the
soil.
 Hydraulic conductivity is the permeability of the soil for water. I.e. the
soils have five key roles
 Medium for plant growth: It supports the growth of higher plants
by providing a medium for plant roots and supplying nutrient elements
 Regulator of water supplies: Its properties are the principal factor
controlling the fate of water in the hydrologic system.
 Water loss, utilization, contamination, and purification are all affected by
the soil.
 Recycler of raw materials: With in the soil, waste products and
dead bodies of plants, animals and people are assimilated, and their
basic elements are made available for reuse by the next generation of
life.
 Habitat for soil organisms: It provides habitats for living
organism, from small mammals and reptiles to tiny insects to microscopic
cells.
 Engineering medium: soil plays an important role as an engineering
medium.
 It is not only an important building material (earth fill, bricks) but
provides the foundation for virtually every road, airport, and house
we build. :
 In relation to irrigation
 The capacity of the soil to accept, transmit or retain

relatively large amounts of water (Water holding

capacity of the soil) in a short time should be measured.

 The surface infiltration rates and the case of water

movement through unsaturated and through saturated

layers (hydraulic conductivity) need to be measured.

 The amount, kind and distribution of clay minerals(Soil chemical

properties) are especially important to water movement, relation and

availability of plants.

 Studies of cracking and structural changes under different

management Practices (helps surface sealing or a need of pre

irrigation) and Some Soil Physical Properties Influencing Irrigation

 Why ???

 The rate of entry of water into the soil and its retention, movement and
availability to plant root are all physical phenomena.
 Hence it is important to know the physical properties of soil in relation
to water for efficient management of irrigated agriculture.
 Cont..
Soil Texture?
 It may be defined as the relative proportion of various
soil separates in a soil material.
 It indicates fineness or coarseness of the soil.
 The texture of soil is more or less constant and does not
change with tillage or other practices.
 It influences infiltration, permeability, water holding
capacity, cohesion, plasticity and soil structure.
 Cont”d
 The relative proportion of soil separates is determined by:-
 Mechanical analysis-Sieve Analysis.
 Based on the percentage content of sand, silt and clay
present, the textural class of a soil is determined by using
the triangular diagram.

Fig. 2.2: The relative sizes of three soil samples

USDA Triangular soil Textural classification Chart
25% of clay
72% of sand
3% of silt.......???

18% of clay
Fig. 2.3: USDA textural triangle
52% of sand
30% of silt.......??? What is the
textural class
Soil Structure:
 The arrangement of individual soil particles with respect
to each other in to a pattern .
 Soil structure has a key effect on soil properties such as
erodibility, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, infiltration
and water holding capacity.
 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
Bulk density /Dry bulk density (b) :
It is defined as the ratio of the mass of dried particles
to the total volume of soil (including particles and pores).
Ms Ms
b= =
Vt Va+Vw+Vs
Particle density s
 It is defined as the mass (weight) per unit volume of
soil particles (soil solids). Ms
s 
Vs
 Thus the particle density of any soil is constant and
does not vary with the amount of space between the
particles.
 Cont..
Porosity (n) :
It is defined as the ratio of the volume of pores to the
total soil volume. Vf Va +Vw
n= =
Vt Va+Vw+Vs
Which soil has the higher porosity, sandy or clay
soils???
The porosity of sandy soils ranges from 35 - 50%,
while that of clay soils from 40-60%.
 The more finely divided are the individual soil
particles, the greater is the porosity.
 Cont..
Infiltration???
 The movement of water from the surface into the soil.
 Infiltration rate is the soil characteristic determining the maximum
rate at which water can enter into the soil under specific conditions,
including the presence of excess water.
 The Double Ring Infiltrometer is commonly used for measuring
infiltration rate.
 The rate at which infiltration can be maintained in a
particular soil is an extremely important parameter in the
design of irrigation systems.
 The type of irrigation system, which may be applied at a given
site, is often governed by the infiltration characteristics of the
soil.
 The infiltration rate also usually plays key role in the
management and operating schedule of an irrigation system.
 Cont ‘’d
a) It is the most crucial and often the most difficult parameter to
evaluate under the surface irrigation systems,
 particularly the variation of infiltration characteristics
spatially and temporally.
b) It does not only affect the amount of water that enters the soil profile
and its rate of entry but also significantly influences overland flow
processes.
 It essentially controls the amount of water entering the soil
reservoir, as well as the advance and recession of the overland
flow.
 Typical curves of infiltration rate, I, and cumulative infiltration, Z,
are shown in Figure .
 Irrigation of initially dry soil exhibits an infiltration rate with a
high initial value which decreases with time until it becomes fairly
steady, which is termed the 'basic infiltration rate'.
 Infiltration is a complex process that depends upon physical and
hydraulic properties of the soil, soil moisture contents and
 Cont ,,

Fig. Infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration

Fig. Infiltration rate in different soil types

 Factors Affecting Infiltration Rate
 The process of infiltration is affected by many different
factors.
 Infiltration may be considered as a three-step sequence
 surface entry,
 transmission through the soil and
 depletion of storage capacity in the soil.
The major factors affecting the infiltration of water into soil are:
 Initial moisture content of soil
 Condition of the soil surface
 Hydraulic conductivity of the soil profile
 Texture and structure
 Porosity, soil temperature
 Organic matters…
 Classes of soil Water availability
 Water can exist in either of the following forms in the soil.

1.Gravitational water: is rapidly drained from the soil profile

by the force of gravity.
 This water is not available for plants use as it drains off
rapidly from the root zone.
2. Capillary water: is the water remaining after rapid
drainage by gravity that can require force greater than gravity
such as those exerted by plant roots may remove this water.
 It is available to plants & exerted by only cohesion forces.

3. Hygroscopic Water: is water held tightly to the surface of

soil particles by adsorption forces. It is unavailable to plants
 Soil Moisture constants
Saturation Capacity:-When all micro and macro pore spaces are
filled with water, the soil is said to have reached its Saturation Capacity.
Field Capacity:-is the moisture content after the gravitational water
has drained down.
- At field capacity, the macro pores are field with air & capillary pores
(micro) pores filled with water.
- Field capacity is the upper limit of the available soil moisture.
At FC Soil Moisture Tension (SMT) is b/n 1/10-1/3atm.
  Permanent Wilting Point:-is the moisture content beyond
which plants can no longer extract enough moisture and remain
wilted unless water is added to the soil.
 The water beyond the permanent wilting point is tightly held to
the solid particles that plants cannot remove moisture at their
normal rate to prevent wilting of the plants.
Two stages of WP
 Temporary wilting point: this denotes the soil water content at
which the plant wilts at day time, but recovers during night or when
water is added to the soil.
 Ultimate wilting point: at such a soil water content, the plant wilts
and fails to regain life even after addition of water to soil.

 15 Atm is taken as SMT at PWT

 Soil moisture ranges
1. Total available water, TAW
 Soil moisture between field capacity and permanent wilting point is
referred to as readily available moisture.
 Fine textured soils have a wide range of water between field capacity
and permanent wilting point than coarse textured soils.
TAW= θv(Fc-PWP)D
where D=Root depth of the crop
2. Management allowed deficit, MAD.
 The degree to which the volume of water in the soil is allowed to
deplete before the next irrigation is applied.
That is portion of the available moisture, which is easily extracted by
the plant roots.
 It is commonly 60 – 80 % of the available water.
3. Soil moisture deficit, SMD.
The depletion of soil moisture below field capacity.
 Techniques of Measuring Soil Moisture Content
 Gravimetric method
 Resistance Method
 Neutron scattering
 TDR = Time Domain Reflectometry
Gravimetric method: a known weight of moist soil
sample is dried in an oven at 105oC and weighed again.
 The weight lost is considered as that of the moisture
evaporated through heating.
 The gravimetric water content (θm or W), is defined as
the mass of water per unit mass of soil.
 It can be expressed in many units, such as kg/kg (g/g) or %.
 ሺwet weight of soilሻ − ሺdry weight of soilሻ weight loss in drying
𝑤= =
dry weight of soil weight of dried sample

The volumetric water content (%)

𝜌𝑏
Θv = 𝑊 ∗
𝜌𝑤

where: Θv is volumetric water content in percent

W = water content expressed on weight basis in (%)
ρb = soil bulk density (g/cm3)
ρw = water density (1 g/cm3)
 SAMPLE PROBLEM
A 100 cm3 soil is taken in the field which weighs 174 gm at
the time of sampling. The oven dry weight of the sample is
155 gm. Assume density of water as 1gm/cm3. Compute:
a) The soil moisture content
i) on mass basis
ii) on volume basis
b)The soil moisture content for a 120cm deep soil (in
depth basis)
c) Bulk density

Ans: a) i) 12.26%; ii)19% ;

b) 22.8cm;
c) 1.55gm/cm3
 Exercise
1. An undisturbed sample of soil has a volume of
100 cm3 and mass of 190 g. On oven drying for
24 hrs, the mass is reduced to 160 g.
Determine the water content.
1, on mass basis
2. on volumetric Basis
 Soil water Potential
 is an expression used to refer to the tendency of soil water to
move.
The primary forces acting on soil water
 Matric force- is the attraction of the soil solids (metrics) for
water. It is created due to adhesion and cohesion forces. It
reduces the free energy of water molecules.
 Osmotic force- is the attraction of ions and other solutes for
water molecules thereby reducing the free energy of soil solution.
 Gravitational force- pulls the water down ward. It is elevation
dependent in a soil profile.
 Both matric and osmotic potentials are negative as they reduce
the free energy levels of soil water.
• Thus, they are called suctions or tensions.
 Measuring soil Moisture potential
 Field Tensiometer-
 Tensiometer provides a direct measurement of the tenacity
with which water is held by soils.

 Pressure plate (membrane) apparatus- is used to

measure matric suction moisture content relations at
suction values as high as 100 bars.
 It is fast and very accurate.
Any questions???

Chapter 3
Crop water requirement