Lec 10.

SOIL PLANT ATMOSPHERE CONTINUUM (SPAC)

The soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) is the pathway for movement of water

from soil to the atmosphere through plants, proposed by Huber in 1924.

The fundamental principle of SPAC is water moves from higher total water potential
to regions of lower total water potential at a rate depending on the hydraulic resistance of the
medium. The low water potential of the atmosphere and relatively higher water potential
inside leaves, leads to a diffusion gradient across the stomatal pores of leaves, drawing water
out of the leaves as vapour.

Water in the SPAC

 Soil Moisture – Infiltration, Redistribution and withdrawal

 Plant Uptake – Active absorption and Passive absorption

 Translocation

 Evapotranspiration
Approximate Magnitudes of water potential In SPAC

Components Water potential(Bars)

Soil -0.1 to -20

Leaf -5.0 to -50

Atmosphere -100 to -200

This decrease in water potential from soil to the atmosphere from soil to the
atmosphere act as a driving force that decides that flow of water along the direction of
direction of decreasing water potential.

Soil - water relationships:

Physical properties of water and soil, that influences the movement, retention and use
of water by the plants that must be considered to plan for an efficient irrigation system.

It determines both the frequency of irrigation and the capacity of the irrigation system
needed to ensure continuous crop growth.

Kinds of soil water / Soil moisture constants

Gravitational water (0 atm):
Water in the macropores that moves downward freely under the influence of gravity
beyond the root zone is called gravitational water.
Capillary water (1/3 - 31 atm):
Water retained by soil in capillary pores (micropores) against gravity. It is available
for plant growth.
In soil, capillary water is present between 1/3 to 30 bars.

Hygroscopic water (31 - 10000 atm):

It is that part of soil water which is very tightly held on the surface of soil particles in
very thin film by adsorption forces such as adhesion and cohesion.

It is unavailable to plants.
 Available and unavailable water

Type of water Atmospheric Pressure Status

Oven Dry 10000 Unavailable Water
Air Dry 100
Hygroscopic Co-efficient 31 Difficultly Water
Wilting Point 15 Low in availability
Field Capacity 0.33 Available Water
Ground Water 0.001 Unavailable Water

Water Movements in Soil:

• Infiltration: process of water entry into the soil profile.

• Seepage: The lateral movement of water through soil pores or small cracks in the soil
profile under unsaturated condition.

• Permeability: It indicates the relative ease with which air and water penetrate or pass
through the soil pores.

• Deep percolations: downward movement of water within the soil profile under the
influence of gravity and hydrostatic pressure.

Retention of water in soil:

Water that enters in the soil is retained by means of the following three forces.

1. Force of adhesion - Due to the force of adhesion, the water molecules are
attached to the surface of soil particles and thus a thin film of water is tightly
held around the soil particles.

2. Force of cohesion - When more water is added to the moist soil, the cohesive
force comes into action and the freshly added molecules get attracted towards
already existing water molecules. This results in thickening of water film
around the soil particles.

3. Soil colloids - water is also retained in the soil due to soil colloids like clay or
humus particles. The water thus retained in the soil is called imbibitional
Mechanism of water absorption:

1. Active absorption of water

In this process the root cells play active role in the absorption of water and metabolic
energy released through respiration is consumed active absorption may be of two kinds.
The amount of water absorbed by the active absorption is very negligible and is
usually less than 5 per cent of the total water required by a rapidly transpiring plant.
2. Passive absorption of water
It is mainly due to transpiration, the root cells do not play active role and remain
passive.

Movement of water within the plant (Translocation):

1. Apoplast pathway:
Water moves exclusively through cell walls without crossing any membranes
2. Transmembrane pathway:
Water sequentially enters a cell on one side, exits the cell on the other side, enters the
next cell, and so on.
3. Symplast pathway:
Water travels from one cell to the next via plasmodesmata.

Evaporation
Evaporation is a diffusive process by which water from natural surfaces, such as free
water surface, bare soil, from live or dead vegetation foliage (intercepted water, dewfall,
guttation etc) is lost in the form of vapour to the atmosphere. It is one of the basic
components of hydrologic cycle.

Transpiration
Although large quantities of water are absorbed by plant from the soil but only a small
amount of it is utilized. The excess of water is lost from the aerial parts of plants in the form
of water vapours. This is called as transpiration.

Evapotranspiration (ET = Evaporation + Transpiration)

Evapotranspiration is a combined loss of water from the soil (evaporation) and plant
(transpiration) surfaces to the atmosphere through vaporization of liquid water, and is
expressed in depth per unit time (for example mm/day).

Quantification of evapotranspiration is required in the context of many issues:

 1. Management of water resources in agriculture

2. Designing of irrigation projects on sound economic basis

3. Fixing cropping patterns and working out the irrigation requirements of

crops

4. Scheduling of irritations

5. Classifying regions climatologically for agriculture

Factors affecting transpiration rate

A. External factors

1. Atmospheric humidity
In humid atmosphere (when relative humidity is high), the rate of transpiration
decreases. It is because atmosphere is more saturated with moisture and retards the diffusion
of water vapours from the intercellular spaces of the leaves to the outer atmosphere through
stomata.

In dry atmosphere, the RH is low and the air is not saturated with moisture and hence,
the rate of transpiration increases.

2. Temperature
An increase in temperature brings about an increase in the rate of transpiration by
 1. lowering the relative humidity
2. Opening of stomata widely
3. Wind
i. When wind is stagnant (i.e. not blowing), the rate of transpiration remains normal

ii. When the wind is blowing gently, the rate of transpiration increases because it removes
moisture from the vicinity of the transpiring parts of the plant, thus facilitating the diffusion
of water vapour from the intercellular spaces of the leaves to the outer atmosphere though
stomata.

iii. When the wind is blowing violently, the rate of transpiration decreased because it creates
hindrance in the outward diffusion of water vapour from the transpiring part and it may also
close the stomata.

4. Light
Light increases the rate of transpiration because in light stomata open and it increases
with the temperature.
In dark, due to closure of stomata, the stomatal transpiration is almost stopped.

5. Available soil water

Rate of transpiration will decrease if there is not enough water in the soil in such from
which can be easily absorbed by the roots.

6. CO2
An increase in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere (Over the usual concentration)
more so inside the leaf, leads towards stomatal closure and hence it retards transpiration.

7. Atmospheric Pressure
The reduction of atmospheric pressure increases the transpiration rate by permitting
more rapid diffusion of water. The plants growing in hills will show higher rates of
transpiration because of low atmospheric pressure.

B. Internal factors

1. Internal water conditions

It is very essential for transpiration. Deficiency of water in the plants will result in
decrease of transpiration rate. Increase rate of transpiration containing for longer periods
often create internal water deficit in plants because absorption of water does not keep pace
with it.

2. Structural features
The number, size, position and the movement of stomata affect rate of transpiration.
In dark stomata are closed and stomatal transpiration is checked.

Sunken stomata help in reducing the rate of stomatal transpiration.

In xenophytes the leaves are reduced in size or may even fall to check transpiration.

Thick cuticle on presence of wax coating on exposed parts reduces cuticles

transpiration.

Water in the SPAC