BASIC SOIL-WATER RELATIONS

Soil Physical Characteristics

 The physical properties of soils and plants
affect the movement, retention and use of
water.
 Soil-water-plant relationship is considered in
designing and operating irrigation systems.
 Soil and water relationships that are important
in irrigated areas include:
 Capacities of well drained soils in the field to
retain water available for plant growth.
 Flow or movement of water in soils.
 The salinity and alkali conditions together with
the translocation and concentration of soluble
salts due to movement and evaporation of soil
water.
 Soil Texture
 Soil texture refers to a particular soil's
distribution of mineral particles within certain
size ranges.
Particles size, mm
Gravel  1.00
Sand 0.05 – 1.00
Silt 0.002 – 0.05
Clay  0.002
 Sand - sand particles dominate; feels gritty to the fingers;
coarse-textured soil. Sand particles are large enough to
grate against each other and they can be detected by
sight. Sand shows no stickiness or plasticity when wet
 Clay - clay particles dominate; not distinguishable by
naked eye; makes soil swell and become brittle when dry;
fine-textured soil
 Silt - falls between clay and sand; barely visible to the
eye; has the appearance and feel of flour; their presence
makes the soil feel smooth and soapy and only very
slightly sticky.
 Loam - medium textured soil; has equal amount of sand,
silt and clay
Soil Texture
The texture of the soil has a very important
influence on the following:

 flow of soil-water
 circulation of air
 rate of chemical transformation
 Soil Structure
 arrangement of soil particles and voids and are
characterized by the sizes of soil particles;
fundamentally built by wetting and drying,
freezing and thawing, or combination of both.
 Soil Structure determines how easy it is to
cultivate, how much water and air is in the soil,
how easily plant roots can penetrate it, what
kind of organisms can live in it, and how freely
water will drain through it.
 Practices to be followed to maintain or
improve soil structure
 Plow below compacted layers, not at the same
depth each year.
 Allow as much time as practical for soil and air
to interact after plowing.
 Return all possible organic matter to soil.
 Follow a good crop rotation on legumes, cash
crops, and fibrous-rooted crops.
 Reduce cultivation and tillage operations to a
minimum.
 Real Specific Gravity

 ratio of density of a single soil particle to the density

of a volume of water equal to the volume of the
particle of soil.
RSG = Particle Density of soil (g/cc)
Water density (1 g/cc)

 Soil with low organic matter content: RSG = 2.65

 Irrigated soils with high organic matter content:
RSG = 1.5 to 2.0
 Apparent Specific Gravity
 ratio of the weight of a given volume of dry soil (air
space included) to the weight of an equal volume of
water; also called volume weight or bulk density.
ASG = Bulk density of soil (g/cc)
Water density (1 g/cc)

Where: Bulk density of soil = ODW of soil particles

bulk volume
 ASG is influenced by structure, texture and
compactness; compacting a soil of fixed RSG will
increase ASG.
 Pore Spaces
 air space in soil.
 Coarse-textured soils (gravelly and sandy) have a smaller
percentage of total pore space.
 Fine textured soils (clay loams and clay) have a greater
percentage of total pore space.

n = 1 – ASG x 100 or 1 - bulk density x 100

RSG particle density

where: n = pore space, %

ASG = apparent specific gravity
RSG = real specific gravity
(2.65 for most agricultural soils)
 Porosity (equivalent to pore space) – ratio of volume
of voids to the total bulk volume of soil.
Porosity = volume of voids = (Va + Vw)__
bulk volume (Va + Vw + Vs)

Pore space influences the:

 water holding capacity of soils

 movement of air-water and roots through the soil

 Infiltration Rate
 Infiltration rate is a measure of the rate at
which soil is able to absorb rainfall or irrigation.
 speed at which water can be taken into soil
 If the precipitation rate exceeds the infiltration
rate, runoff will usually occur unless there is
some physical barrier.
 It is influenced by: soil properties and moisture
gradient
Example:
At t = 9:00; dw = 5 cm; after an hour or at t = 10:00;
dw = 2 cm
I = (5-2)/1 = 3 cm/hr
 Intake Rate
 average rate of water entering the soil
 The rate of infiltration from a furrow into the
soil is referred to as the intake rate.
 Intake rate is influenced by furrow size and
shape while infiltration rate applies to a level
surface covered with water.
 Most soils have fast initial rate, the rate
decreases with application time.
 Permeability
 The ability of soil to convey water flow
through the pore spaces caused by a given
force or the velocity of flow caused by a unit
gradient (unit is m/day). This is also used for
designating flow through soils in any direction.

Permeability is influenced by:

 physical properties of soil
 changes in water temperature
 moisture content
 Depth of Soil
 adequate depth of soil in which to store
satisfactory amount of irrigation water at each
irrigation;
 productive shallow soils require frequent
irrigation;
 excessive deep percolation losses occur when
shallow soils overlying coarse-textured, highly
permeable sands and gravel are irrigated;
 Soil Moisture
the moisture content of the soil corresponding to a
particular tension force is influenced by:
 soil texture

 soil solution

 temperature
 The soil moisture content refers to the amount
of moisture or water present in the soil.
MCd = (FW – OD)/OD x 100 or
MCw = (FW – OD)/FW x 100
 On a volume basis: MCv = MCd x ASG
 Saturation (S) is the portion of the pore space
filled with water
S = MCd/n
 On a depth of water basis:
d = (MCv/100)D or
d = MCd/100 x (ASG x D)
 Sample Problem
 A sharp-edged cylinder 15 cm in diameter is
carefully driven into the soil so that negligible
compaction occurs. A soil column 20 cm in
length is secured. The wet weight is 5780 g and
dry weight 5180 g. Compute for the soil
moisture content in dry and weight basis, the
bulk density, the ASG, the volumetric water
content and the depth of water.
Dry Basis:
MCd = FW – OD x 100%
OD
= 5780 – 5180 x 100%
5180
MCd = 11.58%
Wet Basis:
MCw = FW – OD x 100%
FW
= 5780 – 5180 x 100%
5780
MCw = 10.38%
Bulk Density

b = OD / Vb ; Vb = d2h / 4
=  (15)2 (20) / 4
= 3534.29 cc
= 5180 g / 3534.29 cc
= 1.47 g/cc
ASG

ASG = 1.47 g/cc

1 g/cc
= 1.47
Volumetric water content
MCv = Pd x ASG
= 11.58 x 1.47
MCv = 17.02%
Depth of water
d = (MCv / 100) D
= (17.02/100) 20 cm
= 3.40 cm
 Sample Problem
 Consider a cylindrical sample of a soil having a
diameter of 2.54 cm and a length of 6 cm. The
specific gravity of the soil particle is 2.65.
Before drying, the sample weight was 60 g.
After drying, the weight was 53 g. Calculate
porosity (n), MCd, saturation (S), MVv and d.
Porosity:
n = [1 – ASG/RSG] x 100
ASG = b ; b = OD/ Vb ; Vb = d2h / 4 ;
1 g/cc Vb = [(2.54)2 (6)] / 4 = 30.40 cc
b = 53 g / 30.40 cc = 1.74 g/cc
= 1.74 / 1
= 1.74
n = [1 – 1.74 / 2.65] x 100
= 34.34%
Dry Basis
MCd = FW – OD x 100%
OD
= 60 – 53 x 100%
53
= 13.21%
Saturation
S = [MCd / n] x 100%
= 13.21 / 34.34
= 22.99%
Volumetric water content
MCv = MCd x ASG ;
MCd = (60-53) / 53
= 13.21%
= 13.21 x 1.74
= 22.98%
Depth of water
d = (MCv / 100) D
= (22.98/100) 6 cm
= 1.38 cm
SOIL MOISTURE TENSION
AND AVAILABILITY
 Adhesive and cohesive forces hold water in
the soil.
 Adhesion is the attraction of soil particles
surfaces to water.
 Cohesion is the attraction of water
molecules to each other.
 With these forces, water fills the small pores
in the soil but as the water film becomes
thicker the liquid-air interface is held less
highly and can move in response to the pull
of gravity.
 Soil moisture tension
 is a measure of the forces with which water is retained
in the soil. It is normally expressed in atmospheres
based on the average air pressure at sea level.
 Actually, any expression of soil moisture tension does
not indicate the amount of water the soil contains nor
the amount of water that can be removed.
 Soil moisture tension depends upon the soil type. In
general, sandy soils drain almost completely at low
tension while clayey soils holds a considerable amount
of moisture even at high tension.
 CLASSES AND
AVAILABILITY OF
SOIL WATER
 Hygroscopic water is found on the surface of the
soil grains and is not capable of significant movement
by the action of gravity or capillary forces.
 Capillary water is that part of excess of the
hygroscopic water which exists in the pore space of
the soil and is retained against the force of gravity in a
soil that permits unobstructed drainage.
 Gravitational water is that part in excess of
hygroscopic and capillary water which will readily
move out of the soil if favorable drainage is provided.
The proportion of each class depends on soil texture,
structure, organic matter content, temperature, and
depth of soil column considered.
 Classification according to the
availability of soil water to plants
 Gravitational water drains quickly from the
root zone under normal drainage conditions.
 Unavailable water is held too tightly by
capillary forces and is generally not accessible
to plant roots.
 Available water is the difference between
gravitational and unavailable water.
 Field Capacity
 the moisture content of soil
when gravitational water has
been removed; usually
determined 2 days after an
irrigation; can be measured
by determining moisture
content of soil after an
irrigation which is sufficiently
heavy to ensure thorough
wetting of the soil to be
tested.
 Permanent Wilting Point
 the soil moisture content
when plants permanently
wilt; a plant will wilt when it
can no longer extract
sufficient moisture from the
soil to meet its water needs;
temporary wilting will occur
in many crops on a hot
windy day, but the plants
recover in the cooler portion
of the day.
 Available Moisture
 the difference in moisture content of the soil
between field capacity and permanent wilting;
represents the wilting which can be stored in the
soil for subsequent use by plants; can be
expressed as percentage moisture Pw, as
percentage volume Pv, or as depth d, whichever
is more convenient.
 Readily Available Moisture
 refers to that portion of available moisture that
is most easily extracted by plants, approximately
75% of the available moisture.
Classes and Availability of soil-water to plants
and their drainage characteristics

Saturation Point
Gravitational Water
(fast drainage)

Field Capacity

Available
Moisture Capillary Water
(slow drainage)
Permanent Wilting
Point

Unavailable Hygroscopic Water

Moisture (no drainage)
 METHODS OF
DETERMINING
MOISTURE CONTENT
 Feel and Appearance Method
 oldest but most widely used; accuracy not needed
 Gravimetric method
 more direct; obtain soil sample of 200 grams,
get fresh weight, oven dry (105C for 24
hours) then weigh oven-dried sample
FW – OD
%MC = ----------- x 100
OD
 Electrical Method
 electrically-operated meters to monitor moisture status
of the soil

Electrical
Switch Resistance Meter

Lead wires

Porous Block
 Tensiometer
 device that determine attraction of the soil particles to
water or moisture tension.
The device consists of a porous cup filled
with water and attached to a vacuum gauge
or mercury manometer; hole is dug below
30 cm depth; loose soil is placed into the
hole; cup pushed firmly into the soil;
additional soil is packed around the cup to
insure firm contact with the soil; water
moves out of the cup because of suction
or tension in soil water; fluctuations in soil
moisture are recorded by the tensiometer
as long as tension does not exceed 0.8
atmosphere.
 Neutron Dispersion Method
 developed on the fact that hydrogen atoms have a much greater
ability to slow down fast neutrons than other atoms.

 Fast neutrons emitted from a

source into the surrounding
soil is slowed down by water
and recorded in a counting
tube. The greater the water
content of soils, the greater
is the number of slow
neutrons. Neutron count per
 This method is quick but very expensive. unit time is proportional to
 It is also dangerous since it is radioactive the moisture content of the
and must be used w/ care. soil.
 Graduated Cylinder Method
 simple and does not require expensive and
complicated equipment
 it needs only 15-30 minutes to complete
 A soil sample is weighed (A) and placed in a
graduated cylinder with known weight. Water is
added to dissolve the soil. Record the volume of the
mixture as indicated in the graduated cylinder, (V),
weigh the mixture in the graduated cylinder and
subtract the weight of graduated cylinder. Resulting
weight is the weight of the mixture of soil and water,
(W).
%MC = [A(G-P)/G(W-VP) –1] X 100
where: G and P = specific gravity of soil and water,
respectively