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Agricultural Physics

The Commonwealth International Library: Physics Division

1st Edition - January 1, 1966

Author: C. W. Rose

Editors: W. Ashhurst, H. T. Flint

eBook ISBN:

9 7 8 - 1 - 4 8 3 1 - 3 9 2 5 - 8

Agricultural Physics discusses agricultural problems, some aspects of the environment, and water relations of plants from a physical point of view. This book provides particular… Read more

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Agricultural Physics discusses agricultural problems, some aspects of the environment, and water relations of plants from a physical point of view. This book provides particular attention to clarifying fundamental concepts and processes, such as the concept of the total potential of water and its components, which is of basic importance in understanding water movement in soil, plant, or atmosphere. Subject matters covered in this text are limited to topics to which physics has made a significant contribution, for instance, the experimental aspects of crop water use. This text is divided into eight chapters. Chapters 1 to 3 focus solely on the physical environment of agriculture, providing a background of the literature on the micrometeorology of crops and single plants. Some physical aspects of soils are elaborated in Chapters 4 and 6, while attributes of crop water use are covered in Chapters 5, 7, and 8. This publication is a good source for agriculturists, physiologists, and researchers conducting work on aspects of soils and plant water relations.

Preface

Important Symbols

1. The Physical Environment of Agriculture: Part I

1.1 Why Physics in Agriculture

1.2 Radiation

1.3 Conservation Principles for Heat Energy and Water

1.4 Conservation Considerations for Air in Contact with the Ground

2. The Physical Environment of Agriculture: Part II

2.1 Thermal Conduction, Ground Heat Flux and Soil Temperature

2.2 General Features of the Atmosphere near the Ground

2.3 Turbulent Transfer

2.4 Non-radiative Sensible Heat Exchanges in the Atmosphere near the Ground

3. The Physical Environment of Agriculture: Part III

3.1 Humidity

3.2 Evaporation

4. Some Physical Aspects of Soils

4.1 Some Physical Aspects of Soil Composition

4.2 The Clay Fraction

4.3 Soil Structure

4.4 Soil and Water Conservation 116

5. Water and Soil in Equilibrium

5.1 The Soil-water System

5.2 The Potential of Water in a Soil or Plant System

5.3 Components of the Total Potential of Soil Water

5.4 Gravitational Potential Z

5.5 Submergence Potential S

5.6 Matric or Capillary Potential M

5.7 Determination of Matric or Capillary Potential. Units

5.8 Soil Moisture Characteristics

5.9 Pneumatic Potential G due to External Gas Pressure

5.10 Pressure Potential P

5.11 Hydraulic Potential Φ

5.12 Osmotic Potential 0

5.13 Vapor Pressure and the Component Potentials of Water

6. Movement of Water in Soils

6.1 Fundamental Equations of Liquid Water Movement under Isothermal Conditions

6.2 Hydraulic Conductivity

6.3 Infiltration of Water into Soils

6.4 Field Drainage of Soils

6.5 Water Vapor Movement in Soil

7. Some Experimental Aspects of Crop Water Use Studies in the Field

7.1 The Measurement and Calculation of Terms in the Water Conservation Equation

7.2 Determination of the Soil Properties Required in Water Balance Studies

8. A Physical Introduction to Plant-Water Relationships

8.1 Water Transport through the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere System

8.2 Water and Solute Transport across Cell Membranes

8.3 Conclusion

Appendix. Some Physical Constants and Conversion Factors

Author Index

Subject Index