INDIRA GANDHI KRISHI VISHWAVIDYALAYA

RAIPUR

Course Title: Soil & Water Management in

Agroforestry
Course no.: AF – 522
Topic: Soil and water relations

Submitted to- Submitted by-

Dr. Pratap Toppo Hritik Ronald Ekka
Professor, (Dept. of Forestry) M.Sc. Forestry, 2nd Sem.
IGKV Raipur (C.G.) Roll no. 20230170
Introduction
Soil-water-plant relationship relates to the properties of soil and plant that affect the movement,
retention and use of water. Due to inadequate and/or uneven distribution of rainfall during the
cropping season, it becomes necessary to apply additional water to the soil for plant use in the
form of irrigation. Therefore, proper understanding of the soil-water-plant relationship is a
prerequisite for the sound design of any efficient irrigation system.

Soil
A soil matrix consists of solid, liquid and gaseous phases. The solid phase is the soil matrix
comprising mineral, organic matter and various chemical compounds. The liquid phase contains
all the dissolved substances. Liquid phase also referred by the soil moisture or soil water or soil
solution. The gaseous portion of the soil consists of soil air and it occupies those spaces between
the soils particles which are not filled with water

Organic
matter Air
4% 25%

Mineral
46%

Water
25%

In a completely dry soil, all of the pore spaces (i.e., space between soil particles) are filled with
air, and in a completely wet soil all of the pores are filled with water. However, in most of the field
situations the pore spaces are filled with both air and water. Finally, soil water and air vary in
composition, both in time and space.

Soil texture
It refers to the relative proportion of sand, silt and clay in a given soil. Various combinations of
sand silt and clay are used to classify soil according to its texture.

The textural class of a soil can be accurately determined in the laboratory by mechanical
analyses. Figure below shows various textural classes and is used to identify soil textural class
based on information on Percent sand, silt and clay fraction in soil sample. Sand, silt and clay are
size groupings of soil particles as shown below in Table

Water holding capacity, permeability and infiltration rate of soil depends on the texture. For
example, fine textured soils (clayey soils) have relatively higher water holding capacity, but the
permeability for water and air is slow resulting in poor drainage and hence water logging. On the
other hand, coarse textured soils (sandy soils) have very low water holding capacity and hence
rapid drainage takes place. Therefore, crops grown on these soils require frequent irrigations in
smaller amounts. Considering its various effects, the loamy soils are ideal for growing most crops
under irrigated conditions.
Soil structure
The structure of a soil refers to the arrangement of
the individual soil particles with respect to each
other and the formation of aggregates within the
soil mass. Soil structure has important role in
water movement, plant root penetration, air
movement etc.

The dominant shape of soil aggregates in a horizon

determines their structural type, and it include
spheroidal (granular or crumbly subtypes), platy;
prism like (columnar or prismatic subtypes) and
block like (cube and sub-angular subtypes). The
soil structure primarily influences root penetration
and proliferation, total porosity and permeability
of air and water.

Soil Water Relations

As we discussed earlier the basic component of the soil consists of solid mineral particles,
organic matter, the voids among the particles and water and air occupying the voids. Figure below
shows a schematic representation of the soil in relative proportions both in masses and volumes.
The physical properties of the soil, including its ability to store water, are highly related to the
fraction of the bulk soil volume that is filled with water and air. For plant growth and development
to be normal, a balance of water and air in the pore space must be attained. If water is limited,
plant growth may be inhibited by water stress. If air (aeration) is limited, usually by too much
water, then growth may be limited by insufficient aeration.

The relationship between the three phases of soil can be described in a number of mathematical
relationships. These relationships can be used to calculate one soil property from another.
Va = Volume of air
Vw = Volume of water
Vs = Volume of solids
Vv = Volume of voids (Va+Vw)
Vt = Total Volume (Va+Vw+Vs)
Ma = Mass of air (negligible)
Mw = Mass of water
Ms = Mass of solids
Mt = Total mass (Ma+Mw+Ms)

Particle density (ρs)

It is the ratio of a given mass (or weight) of soil solids to that of its volume and it is given by-
𝑀𝑠
𝜌𝑠 =
𝑉𝑠
Sometimes it is referred to as true density. It is usually expressed in terms of g/cm 3 and varies
between the narrow limits of 2.6 to 2.75 g/ cm3. Particle density is a constant for a soil with a given
texture and is independent of size and arrangement of the soil particles.

Dry Bulk Density (ρb)

It is the density of the undisturbed (bulk) soil sample which is the ratio of dry mass of the soil to
its total volume. It is given by-
𝑀𝑠 𝑀𝑠
𝜌𝑏 = =
𝑉𝑡 𝑉𝑠 + 𝑉𝑎 + 𝑉𝑤
This is expressed as gm/cm .Drybulk density can be calculated by collecting a known volume of
3

soil to get the soil volume (Vt) and drying the associated soil to get the mass of dry soil (Ms).

Total (Wet) Bulk Density (ρ)

It is the mass of moist soil per unit volume and is represented as:
𝑀𝑡 𝑀𝑠 + 𝑀𝑎 + 𝑀𝑤
𝜌= =
𝑉𝑡 𝑉𝑠 + 𝑉𝑎 + 𝑉𝑤

Bulk density has a pronounced effect on the soil properties like permeability of soil for water and
air, and penetration of plant roots through the soil. Compression or compaction of soil particles
can increase bulk density but it reduces the soil porosity and in turn the soil water storage
capacity. The bulk density values for different soil textural classes are given in Table below.

Soil texture Bulkdensity(g/cm3)

1. Sandy 1.60–1.70
2. Loamy sand 1.60–1.70
3. Sandy loam 1.55–1.65
4. Fine sandy loam 1.50–1.60
5. Loamy soil 1.45–1.55
6. Silty loam 1.40–1.50
7. Silty clay loam 1.35–1.45
8. Sandy clay loam 1.40–1.50
9. Clay loam 1.30–1.50
10.Claysoil 1.25–1.35

Porosity ( )
Porosity is the void space in a given volume of soil that is occupied by air and water. The total
porosity is calculated as follows:

𝑃𝑏
𝑛(%) = ( 1 − ) × 100
𝑃𝑠
𝑉𝑎 + 𝑉𝑤
𝑛(%) = ( ) × 100
𝑉𝑡

Generally total porosity varies from 30% to 60% for agricultural soils. Coarse textured soils are
normally less porous (35%– 50%) than the fine textured soils (40% – 60%). However, the mean
size of individual pores is greater (>0.06mm in diameter) in the coarse textured soils than the fine
textured soils. From irrigation water management point of view, knowledge of porosity in a given
volume of soil is very important, because it is an index of moisture storage capacity and the
aeration conditions. These are two most important factors that influence the plant growth.

Void Ratio (e)

It is the ratio of the pore space to the volume of solids and is given by

Soil Water Content

The mass water content or soil moisture content (𝜃𝑚 ) is the ratio of the mass of water in a sample
to the dry soil mass, expressed as either a decimal fraction or as percentage. It is often referred
to as ‘gravimetric water content’. The mass water content is found by-

It is determined by weighing the soil sample collected from field, drying the sample for
at least 24 hours at 105oC, and then weighing the dry soil. Difference in mass of the wet
and dry sample represents the mass of water in the soil sample (Mw). The mass of the sample
after drying represents the mass of dry soil (Ms).
The volumetric water content ( ) represents the volume of water contained in total volume of
undisturbed soil. The volumetric water content is defined as-

Determination of volumetric water content requires the volume of the undisturbed soil sample
which is sometimes difficult to measure. However, it can also be determined from mass water
content and specific gravity (ratio of bulk density of soil to density of water) as follows-

Where,

Pw= density of water which is 1 g/cm3

When comparing water amounts per unit of land area, it is frequently more convenient to speak
in equivalent depths of water rather than water content. The relationship between volumetric
water content and the equivalent depth of water in a soil layer is:

𝑑 = Θ𝑣 × 𝐿

Where,
d = equivalent depth of water in a soil layer and
L = depth increment of the soil layer.

Kinds of Soil Water

Water present in the soil is referred to as the soil moisture. It is divided into three categories viz.,
gravitational water, capillary water and hygroscopic water.

Fig. Physical classification of soil water.

(Source : Rao et. al 2010)
Gravitational Water
Water held between 0.0 to 0.33 bars (0 to −33 kPa) soil moisture tension, that moves downward
freely under the influence of gravity to the water table is termed as gravitational water. It is also
referred to as free water. Gravitational water is of no use to plants as it drains out due to gravity. It
reduces aeration in the soil and hence, its removal from soil is necessary for optimum plant
growth.

Capillary Water
Capillary water is the water held in the capillary pores (micro pores). Capillary water is retained
on the soil particles by surface forces, adhesion i.e., attraction of water molecules for soil
particles, cohesion i.e., attraction between water molecules and surface tension phenomena.
Adhesion is a process of the attraction of solid surface for water molecules and forms a very thin
film of water at solid-liquid interface. On the other hand, cohesion is attraction of water
molecules for each other. Capillary water is held between tension of about 0.33 bars (−33 kPa or
1/3 atmosphere, moisture content at field capacity) to 31 bars (−3100 kPa or 31 atmosphere,
hygroscopic coefficient). However, the water within the capillary range is not equally available
i.e., it is readily available starting from 0.33 bars up to a certain point often referred to as critical
soil moisture and thereafter up to 15 bars (−1500 kPa) it is available in lesser amounts. Further
below, the water is held very tightly in thin films and is practically not available for plant use
between 15 bars and 31 bars tension.

Hygroscopic Water
It is the water held tightly to the surface of soil particles by adsorption forces. Hygroscopic water
is held tightly in thin films of 4 – 5 milli microns thickness on the surface of soil colloidal particles
at 31 bars tension (−3100 kPa) and above (Fig. 7). It is essentially non-liquid and moves primarily
in the vapour form. This water is unavailable to the plants as huge pressure force would be
needed to extract it.

Fig. 7. Diagrammatic representation of different types of water.

(Source: Irrigation principles and management, University of Nebraska)
References
• Michael, A.M. (2008). Irrigation Theory and Practice. Vikas Publishing House Pvt Ltd. New
Delhi.
• Murty, V.V.N. (2002). Land and Water Management Engineering (Fourth Edition). Kalyani
Publisher, New Delhi.
• ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/wntsc/waterMgt/irrigation/NEH15/ch1.pdf
• lawr.ucdavis.edu/classes/ssc107/SSC107Syllabus/chapter2-00.pdf
• http://storm.okstate.edu/bae3313/Lecture/8)%20soilwaterplant%20relationships/soil-
water-plant%20relationships.pdf
• http://www.angrau.ac.in/media/7380/agro201.pdf
• http://gilley.tamu.edu/BAEN464/Handout%20Items/Cuenca%20Book%20Chapter%203%2
0Soil%20Physics.pdf
• http://ilri.org/InfoServ/Webpub/fulldocs/IWMI_IPMSmodules/Module_3.pdf