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Soil solution   [ Agronomy - Horticulture ]
Synonyms: Soil water
, Ground water

Dictionary of botanic terminology
 index of names

     
  The aqueous liquid phase of the soil and its solutes.  
     
   
  This is the liquid water found within a soil. This liquid normally contains ions released from mineral particles and organic matter. Plants and soil organisms take up the nutrients  and elements they need to grow from the soil solution.
A plant absorbs ions that are available from the soil solution that contacts the root, that solution becomes deficient in those nutrients unless one of two processes occurs:
a) more solution moves from other portions of soil toward the plant root, or
b)
more ions move through the soil solution toward the root.
Process a is called "mass flow" and is caused by plant uptake of water, and
Process b is "ion diffusion" caused by the concentration gradient created when roots take up the ions directly surrounding them. Active plant roots continually grow into new soil volumes to minimize distances for water or ions to move and thus help keep plants supplied with nutrients.

 
 

 


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