Introductory Crop Physiology (1+1)

Permanent wilting percentage

Permanent wilting percentage or wilting coefficient

The percentage of soil water left after the plants growing in that soil has permanently wilted is called as permanent wiling percentage or the wilting coefficient. Wilting is the reduction in the volume of water in the plant cells sufficient enough to cause them to lose their turgor. The wilting may be visible in plant as drooping, rolling, folding of leaves or young stems.

Wilting may occur for two reasons:

1. If the rate of transpiration exceeds the rate of absorption of water from the soil.
2. If the soil is not having adequate amount of water for the survival of plants.