
Permanent charge, 59
Permanent wilting point (PWP), 291–292
relation between clay and volumetric water content at, 292
Persistent binding agents, 113–114
pF curves, 242–243.
See also Soil moisture characteristics
Philip equation, 434
Philip’s model
compared to other methods, 421
for predicting water infiltration, 415–418
Photons, 531
Photosynthesis, 563
Physical crusts, 166
Physical edaphology
defined, 5
role in sustaining agricultural production, 6–9
Physical nonequilibrium model, 503
Piezometer tube, 324–325
Piezometric head, 324
Piston flow, 477
Planck’s law, 532
Plant available water capacity index, 132
Plant growth
and available water capacity (AWC), 293
critical limit of air-filled porosity for, 23
effects of organic fraction on, 85
importance of pores for, 155
influence of soil air on, 564
normal range of soil physical properties in relation to, 25
and soil structure, 94–95
Plant residues, 458
Plasticity, 195–196
defined, 236
dependence on clay content, 241
effect of organic matter on, 24
impact of soil tilth, 231
index for range of, 23, 240
influence of exchangeable cations on, 241
lower plastic limit, 238
methods for measurement of, 241–243
necessary conditions for, 236
theories that explain, 236–237
upper plastic limit, 238
Plasticity Index (PI), 239, 240, 241
Plastic Range, 239, 240, 241
Plate condensation, 65–66
Plate-shaped particles, specific surface area of, 50
Platinum resistance thermometer, 518, 519
Pneumatic potential (Φ
a
), 326
Poiseuille’s equation
Index 659