The dark areas represent soil solids. After the redistribution process is complete, the soil is at field capacity . Under this condition it contains the greatest amount of water that is potentially available to plants. The actual volume of water present when the soil is at field capacity depends on the soil texture. Monitoring Methods and Devices .
Plants get most of their water from capillary water .
This is the water retained in soil pores after gravitational water has drained. As water is removed by plants or by evaporation from the soil surface, the films of water remaining around the soil particles become thinner and are held by the soil particles more tightly. Water distribution in a soil at field capacity. Field capacity represents the upper limit of plant-available water. When the surface tension becomes high, the plant is unable to take up any of the remaining water and permanent wilting results.