Essentially all of the water used by land plants is absorbed from the soil by roots. A root system consists of a complex network of individual roots that vary in age along their length.

This was to make it a fair test, where they were only looking at how much water was absorbed by the soil and not any additional plant matter. Think about the type of soils that farmers may need ...

Hydrophobic soils may not be "afraid" of water, but they definitely repel it. This can not only pose a problem for farmers ...

The increasing frequency of once-in-a-decade agricultural and ecological drought has underscored the urgency of studying hydrological changes. A research team has analyzed the estimated changes in ...

These include carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Soil plays a vital role in cleaning water. Minerals and microbes filter and buffer potential pollutants, some of which are absorbed by soil ...

"With only lunar soil and a basic ingredient from the sun — which is always spitting out hydrogen — there's a possibility of ...

"To ensure water absorption, the mulch or compost atop the cardboard should be light enough to let the water penetrate down into the cardboard and soil layers," says garden author Jan Johnsen.