Field Capacity And Water Holding Capacity Of Soil

 

A farmer must know the following parameters of his/her field and constantly monitor pre, on-run & post irrigation :

1. Field Capacity,

2. Water Holding Capacity, 

3. Wilting Point, 

4. Saturation Point 

 5. Maximum Allowable Depletion.

The scope of discussion will be restricted in this write up will be two of the most important parameters i.e., Field Capacity & Water Holding Capacity.


                                                           Field Capacity 

Field Capacity


Field capacity is the amount of water remaining in the soil a few days after having been wetted and after free drainage has been ceased.  Soils hold different amounts of water depending on their texture and structure. The upper limit of water storage is often called "field capacity" (FC). It is the amount of water that remains in the soil after all the excess water at saturation has been drained out.

Sandy soils allowed to drain for approximately 24 hours after saturation and the heavier textured soils that have more slit and clay, it takes up to 2-3 days after saturation to reach field capacity.

geoBHUMI device will inform farmers field capacity of their field and knowing field capacity helps to them determine the exact time of water irrigation. 


                                                       Water holding capacity

                                                            
                                                  

 

How much water a soil can hold is extremely important for plants growth. In general, soils that can hold a lot of water support more plant growth and are less susceptible to leaching losses of nutrients. But all of the water held by soil is not available for plants growth. Field capacity is the point where water holding capacity has reached its maximum for the entire field.

Therefore, all farms should know soil water holding capacity of their field to optimize crop production. The goal of the farmers is to maintain the field at near capacity. The key is for farmers to understand the nuances of soil water holding capacity and how to manage it so that the field does not need to over irrigate or suffer from a drought.

geoBHUMI can help the farmers to know the soil water holding capacity and maintain a proper balance of water and oxygen in the field. Therefore, it helps a better growth of the plant and higher yield. 

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