Irrigation Engineering ECE 2405

Soil and water potential

5/8/2012 Jommo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology- JKUAT

MDONDO S. [Eng]

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SOIL WATER POTENTIAL AND MOISTURE CONTENT

INTRODUCTION Soil water content alone is not a satisfactory criterion for describing the availability of water to plants. Attempts have been made to describe the energy state of water. The soil-water plant system is now treated as a continuous dynamic system where water moves through the soil to the plant root surfaces, into the root, through the plant and into the atmosphere along a path of continuously decreasing potential energy. The removal of soil water depends not only upon its a mount and energy state but also upon the plants ability to absorb water and the atmospheric demand for water from the plant. The amount of water that is sufficient for satisfactory plant production depends upon the crop species and variety, stage of growth and marketable product (American Society of Agricultural Engineers-1983). SOIL WATER POTENTIAL A bout a centuary ago, soil water was arbitrarily classified into diferrent forms such as gravitational water, capillary water and hygroscopic water. These early groupings have been replaced by fundamental concept referred to as soil water potential product (American Society of Agricultural Engineers-1983). Quantity of water in a soil as determined by its moisture content does not give a true indication of the soil wetness. A clay soil, which on handling feels dry, can be at the same moisture content as a sandy soil, which feels wet. A plant will have less difficulty extracting water from a sandy soil than from a clay soil at the same moisture content. There is need for a soil wetness which reflects the ease or difficulty of extraction of water from the soil by the plant to be determined. The Concept of Soil Water Potential is therefore used in Soil/Plant/Water Relations. Mechanism of Soil Water Movement (Transport Mechanisms) 1. Solute molecules, dissolved in gas or liquid, move from high to low concentration Driving force for movement is difference in concentration with distance.

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Transport is formulated by Ficks law of diffusion 2. Heat moves from high to low temperature Driving force for heat transport is difference in temperature with distance Heat transport is formulated by Fouriers law of heat conduction 3. Current (movement of electrons) is caused by electrical potential differences Electrons move from high to low potential. Current is computed from Ohms law 4. Water moves from high to low pressure or potential. Driving force is difference in its

pressure with distance. In addition water will move by gravitational forces. In soils, water moves by pressure (or water potential) and gravitational forces. Water flow is described by DARCYs law. The flow of water in any hydraulic system, including the soil-plant-water system, takes place from a state of higher to one of lower potential energy. The steepness of the potential gradient from one point in the system reflects the ease with which water will flow down the potential gradient between the points. What are the forces that determine water movement in soil? Kinetic vs. Potential Energy, Conservative Forces From High Potential Energy to Low Potential Energy

WATER PROPERTIES: Water is an unusual fluid and has much different physical properties than other substances with equal molecular weight. high boiling and melting point high heat of melting and vaporization large dielectric constant low fluid density high specific heat good solvent

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Specific heat: The amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram (1gm) of material one degree centigrade (0C). Molecular structure of water (H2O):
H2O molecule has no net charge (neutral), but charge distribution is asymmetrical, with the center of negative charge not coinciding with center of positive charge; Consequently, water molecule is polar. H-atoms of water molecules are hydrogen bonded with O atoms of surrounding molecules, acting as attraction forces between water molecules. Hydrogen bonding explains the physical properties of water, and its weak crystalline structure. Hydrogen bonding accounts for water's behavior. Because both of the hydrogens in a water molecule bond to the same side of the oxygen, water is polar HOH with a + end on the hydrogen side and a - end on the oxygen side. Salts readily dissolve in this medium. Hydrogen bonding is a force between H and either N, O, or F. These three elements are the most electronegative. Because water is only H's and O's, the stage is set for the ultimate example of hydrogen bonding. In a pool of water, each H is covalently bonded to an oxygen, but retains a strong attraction (Hydrogen bond) for the nearest adjacent oxygen. In other words, each water is attracted to other waters. This phenomenon is called cohesion (the attraction of water to water). Soil minerals are also a source of oxygens to which water's hydrogens are attracted. Water, therefore, is strongly attracted to O-rich solids. This attraction of water to other materials is called adhesion. Adhesion and cohesion are best observed in the phenomenon of capillarity. You have probably observed water or an aqueous solution rising against gravity in a capillary tube, perhaps you have experienced this at the doctor's office as he or she pricks your finger, and then collects a sample of blood in a small glass tube. In capillarity, water rises until weight of column equals the attractive force between the water and the glass. For pure water the height of rise is approximately the following function of tube radius:. h .15/r (in cm) or h 15/r (in mm) Soil and water attract for two reasons. First the soil is porous, and the pores behave much like capillaries. This is actually a minor consideration because natural drainage of water through a soil is strong enough to drain pores that are larger than 0.009 mm in diameter. The more important attraction is between water and solid surfaces. Surface films of water are always present in soil. The difference in water content between any two soils hinges on the question, how thick is the film?

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The tendency of water to move or react or do work is determined by potential. The laws of thermodynamics tell us that spontaneous changes result in reduced potential energy states. Any given parcel of water has a particular potential energy. Potential is the work water can do relative to water at zero state. The zero state is pure water that is unattached to any surface and exists at the reference elevation in a gravitational field. Negative potential means work must be done to bring water up to the zero state. Usually, soil water has a negative potential. Suction or tension are terms used to refer to negative pressure. These terms are used to avoid negative numbers. A positive tension, means a negative pressure. Many other units are used to describe water potential. Hydraulic head is the unit used by engineers. Head units are in length, as the height of a water column. A pump, for example, might deliver 90 feet of hydraulic head. In science, as opposed to engineering, water potential is the preferred term. Water potential is expressed in energy units; but the question is, energy per what? If we express potential as energy per mass, typical units might be Joule/kg. Because it is more convenient, we often use energy per volume. This is convenient because energy per volume equals pressure, something we are familiar with. Typical pressure units in use are pascals, kilopascals, megapascals, and bars. Water potential is the sum of four components. The first component is gravitational. This one is easy to visualize because we have lots of experience with gravity. The symbol used to depict gravitational potential is yg, and the value can be + or . Pressure potential is also easy to visualize. Water will move from a high pressure environment to a low pressure environment. The symbol used to depict pressure potential is yp. Ponded or flooded sites are pressurized for example. The pressure component in soil is either positive or zero. Matric potential is the most important component in soil, but is more difficult to visualize. Water will not freely leave soil unless soil is very wet. This is because of adhesion and cohesion. Imagine placing a clump of dry soil on a table, then dropping a drop of water onto the clump of dry soil. If you elevate the soil off of the table, will the water leap out of it, dropping to the table? Of course not. It will stay in the soil, held my adhesion, or what we often call matric forces. The symbol for matric potential is ym. These values are negative or zero, but never positive, because this water is not free to move to the zero state. Often these three components are sufficient. For instance, to predict hydraulic flow, such as liquid flow through soil pores, one need consider no other component. However, in certain circumstances, another component is important. This other component is called solute potential. The tendency for water to undergo phase changes or to pass through membranes is controlled by the presence of solutes in the

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water. This is important in soil for two reasons: (1) evaporation of soil water is an important phase change, (2) water flow from soil into cells of organisms, including plant roots, requires transport through membranes. The symbol for solute potential is ys. As with matric potential, solute potential is never positive; it can be negative for impure water, or approximately zero for very pure water. Solute potential is also called osmotic potential, because the process of passing selectively through a semipermeable membrane is called osmosis. Matric potential is the component of greatest concern. In wetlands, pressure and gravity are most important, but usually, total potential (yT) matric potential (ym). A normal soil may have ym = -5 bars. It actually ranges from nearly 0 to about -20 bars. For prospective, 5 bars of pressure is about equal to the pressure of 50 meters of water. In other words, a force equal to the weight of 50 meters of water would be required to remove water from a soil in which it was held with a matric potential of -5 bars. This magnitude of matric potential usually eclipses the small effect of the other components. The matric potential of a soil refers to the potential of the most easily removed molecule.

Soil Water
Adhesion - Water attracted to mineral surfaces or Adsorptive forces - (adhesion of water to solid soil surfaces) Capillary or Cohesion water - water attracted to other water molecules

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WATER CONTENT VS WATER POTENTIAL A) WATER CONTENT amount of water in soil calculated by mass or volume (g/g or cm3/ cm3) B) WATER POTENTIAL energy of water in soil measured in energy/mass soil units are J/kg or kPa (these are equivalent) tells you which direction water will move and how easy or difficult it will be for it to do so. Methods of Measuring Soil Water Content i) ii) By Feel: This is by far the easiest method. Assessment by feel is good for experienced people who have sort of calibrated their hands. The type of soil is important. Gravimetric Method (mass water content): This is equal to: produces a percent content tells you how much water is present

Pm

Mw Mass of Water M s Mass of Dry Solids

Units - g/g or Kg/Kg

Pm= (mass of water/mass of dry soil) x 100% Example: 40g of water in 75g of dry soil

Pm= (40/75) x100% =53% (iii) Volumetric water content, Pv. This is equal to:

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Vw Volume of Water Pv Vs Va Vw Total Volume of Undisturbed Soil Sample

Recall that volume = mass/density i.e

Dw Mw Pv and Pv x D sin ce Dw 1 b Ms Ms D b Pv Pm x D where D is the bulk density of the soil b b

Units: cm3/cm3 Example:

Mw

0.3m3 of water in 1m3 of soil Pv =(0.3/1.0)x100% =30% water Soil Bulk Density, Db is defined as the mass of a unit volume of dry soil. This includes both solids and pores. i.e. bulk density = Ms/V ; Ms is the mass of dry soil and V is the total volume of undisturbed soil. The major method of measuring bulk density in the field is to collect a known volume of undisturbed soil (V) in a soil core, and drying it in the oven to remove all the water to obtain Ms. (iv) Neutron Probe: It consists of a probe lowered down a hole in the soil. A box (rate meter or rate scalar) is at the top. Within the probe is a radioactive source e.g. beryllium (435 years life span). Close to the source is a detector. The source emits fast neutrons, some of which are slowed down when they collide with water molecules (due to hydrogen molecules). A cloud of slow neutrons (thermal neutrons) build up near the probe and are registered by the rate meter or rate scalar which measures the number of slowed down neutrons.

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Fig. Diagram and Photograph of Neutron Probe in Use The method is quick but very expensive. It is also dangerous since it is radioactive and must be used with care. WATER POTENTIAL, Definitions: 1. Soil water potential amount of work that must be done per unit quantity in order to transport from a pool of pure water to the soil solution. or 2. Soil water potential The work required to move an incremental volume of water from some reference state to the soil water (reference state defined as having zero potential, is pure water with flat air-water interface at some specified elevation, temperature and air pressure). or 3. Total soil water potential is defined as the amount of work per unit quantity of pure water that must be done by external forces to transfer reversibly and isothermally an infinitesimal amount of water from the standard state to the soil at the point under consideration. REMEMBER: Potential = Force x Distance = mgh =wVgh (Nm). Soil water potential can be expressed in three different units:

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Potential per unit mass (): Potential per unit Volume (): Potential per unit Weight (h):

=potential /mass=gh(Nm/Kg) =potential /Volume= wVgh/V= wh(N/m2 water pressure units) h =potential /Weight=mgh/mg=h(m head unit). = equivalent height of water

Total Soil Water Potential

Zt

Sum of Individual Potentials: Gravitational, Matric, Osmotic, Hydrostatic, etc.(e.g., Overburden, Air Pressure) Total potential, ZT = matric potential + osmotic potential + gravitational potential + ...

ZT =Zp+ Zz +Zs+ Za

2 (N/m )..(1)

Where: Zp, Zz ,Zs and Za are pressure(matric), gravitational, solute (osmotic)

and air pressure potentials, respectively.

Gravitational potential - g Only matters in soil science once a soil is saturated Matric potential m

The water potential of soil science Osmotic potential o

only matters in soil science when the soil is salty

As in any other hydraulic system, the total potential (or total hydraulic head) in the soil-water system is made up of a number of distinguishable components. Some of these are as follows: Gravitational Potential: Reflects gravitational forces on the soil water. Pressure Potential: This is positive when greater than atmospheric pressure, and negative when below atmospheric. A negative pressure potential (or tension, or suction) is also known as the matric

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potential. It is characteristic of soil water above a free water surface. Osmotic Potential: reflects the effect of solutes in soil water, in the presence of a semi-permeable membrane. The total potential of soil water at a point is the sum of all the components of potential, which are acting. Note that the movement of water in the soil is slow, so kinetic energy is neglected. WATER POTENTIAL

Measures the energy of water Units J/kg or kPa(these are equivalent) +ve water potential tells you how much energy will be released when the water moves e.g water coming down over a falls or rapids

-ve water potential tells you how much energy will have to be exerted to move the water. e.g water down in soil being taken up by plant roots

zero water potential is free water e.g. water in a pool

Serves a your reference level

THE RELEVANT FORCES Adhesion and Cohesion Matric Force Attraction Between Water and Ions Osmotic Force Gravity Gravitational Force Hydrostatic and Overburden Forces Atmospheric Air Force

Note: Pressure is equal to Force/Area so we often refer to these forces as pressures. HOW TO MEASURE PRESSURE POTENTIAL IN SOIL

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SOIL WATER MEASUREMENT Environmental monitoring has become an integral component of land management. Soil water properties are among the commonly monitored environmental characteristics. Specific reasons for monitoring soil water properties include optimizing benefits from irrigation, and protecting groundwater. This section discusses methods for monitoring soil water. 1. WATER CONTENT. Water content can be measured in various ways. A few of the standard methods are briefly outlined below. Gravimetric. This involves collecting a sample, weighing it, drying it, and then reweighing it. With these weights one can calculate qm. Porous resistance blocks. These can be calibrated to measure either content or potential. Their performance is only acceptable in relatively dry soil where the q - y relation is more or less

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linear (see Figure 4-9 in the textbook). These are easy to use once calibrated, but are not particularly accurate. Neutron probes. These provide high accuracy and non-destructive testing, by measuring water content surrounding an access tube installed in the soil. Because of the health risk and legal reporting requirements, their use is declining. Time domain reflectometry. This relatively new method requires expensive instrumentation, but provides good accuracy. Also, some minor methods in use include: -frequency domain reflectometry -capacitance probes Lysimeters are often used for "balance-sheet" studies in which one monitors water in and water out of a system. 2.WATER POTENTIAL. Various instruments, a few of which are described below, can measure water potential. Pressure plate. This is a lab apparatus used to determine water content for a wide range of matric potentials with reasonable accuracy. Tests are slow and laborious. Tensiometer. This is an instrument for field use. These are commonly used in irrigation applications. They only work on the wet end of the water release curve, and only measure matric potential. Psychrometer. These provide the most scientifically rigorous readings, yet provide rather poor precision; however, precision improves drastically as soil wetness decreases. Measuring total water potential by psychrometer is possible because of the following physical chemistry relation:

where R, T, and V are the ideal gas law constant, temperature, and volume; and RH is relative humidity. As mentioned previously resistance blocks can be used to monitor water potential. Piezometer. These are access tubes inserted in the soil. The tubes typically have a porous cup on the lower end to allow water in. They are useful for measuring pressure potential due to a water table.

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Filter paper. Filter paper can be exposed to soil to measure the tendency for the paper to attract water from the soil. This is a low-tech method with accuracy similar to that of resistance blocks.