Question

At field capacity the soil contains

• A. Capillary and gravitational water
• B. Capillary and runaway water
• C. Capillary and hygroscopic water
• D. Capillary, hygroscopic and bound water

Answer 1

The correct option is D Capillary, hygroscopic and bound water

At field capacity, the soil contains capillary, hygroscopic and bound water. Runaway water is not included in the field capacity because it is the excessive water which exits or gets drained out from the soil after maximum absorption. Capillary, hygroscopic and bound water is present in the soil so it can be included in field capacity.

Bound water, is an extremely thin layer of water surrounding mineral surfaces.

Hygroscopic water is the water which is tightly attached to the colloidal particle of the soil. It is unavailable to the plants but present in the soil.

Capillary water is held in the soil against the pull of gravity. The water rises in the xylem due to the cohesion force between the water molecules.

So, the correct answer is option C.