Department of Agricultural and Plantation Engineering

Faculty of Engineering Technology

The Open University of Sri Lanka

AGX5565 Soil Plant and Water Relationship

Academic year 2020/2021
TMA 01
Last date of Submission: 05/05/2021
Answer all questions. Do not copy the text directly from lesson materials. Use the principles and
basic facts in the lesson materials and you are required to collect relevant information from external
sources too.

Indicate the reference list. Follow any standard format (Ex: Harvard, IEE) for writing the
Bibliography/References.

Deadline for the assignment is fixed and strict.

Q:1
a) Discuss the term of permanent wilting point and temporary wilting pint (10 marks)
b) Discuss the effect of water deficit in plants and how plants response on water deficit
(15 marks)

Q:2
a) Briefly explain the methods for measuring water potential of plants (10 marks)
b) Explain three (03) root study techniques in brief (15 marks)

Q:3
a) Discuss the factor that affect on change of composition of soil air (10 marks)

b) Consider a soil profile in which the air – phase oxygen concentration diminishes
linearly from 18% at the soil surface to half of that at 100 cm depth. If the total porosity
is a uniform 55% and the volume wetness 25%, calculate the diffusion rate using
Penman’s coefficient for the effective diffusion coefficient of oxygen in the soil (Ds).
 Assume steady – state diffusion. Use a value of 1.89 x 10-1 cm2/sec for the bulk-air
diffusion coefficient. (15 marks)

Q:4
Write short notes on following.

(i). Compare the internal drainage Vs redistribution

(ii). Importance of Electrical blocks in estimating soil moisture

(iii). Gross irrigation requirement

(iv). Effective rainfall

(v). Water storage efficiency

(each section carries 05 marks)