Role Of Water In Plant Growth

Role Of Water In Plant Growth

Plants and any from of living organisms cannot live without water, since water is
the most important constituent about 80 to 90% of most plant cell. Role of water in crop and crop production can be grouped as

A) Physiological importance

Role Of Water In Plant Growth

• The plant system itself contains about 90% of water
• Amount of water varies in different parts of plant as follows
• Apical portion of root and shoot >90%
• Stem, leaves and fruits – 70 – 90%
• Woods – 50 – 60%
• Matured parts – 15 – 20%
• Freshly harvested grains – 15 – 20%
• It acts as base material for all metabolic activities. All metabolic or biochemical
reactions in plant system need water.
• It plays an important role in respiration and transpiration
• It plays an important role in photosynthesis
• It activates germination and plays in important role in plant metabolism for
vegetative and reproductive growth
• It serves as a solvent in soil for plant nutrients
• It also acts as a carrier of plant nutrients from soil to plant system
• It maintains plant temperature through transpiration
• It helps to keep the plant erect by maintaining plant’s turgidity
• It helps to transport metabolites from source to sink

B) Ecological Importance

Role Of Water In Plant Growth

• It helps to maintain soil temperature
It helps to maintain salt balance
• It reduces salinity and alkalinity
• It influences weed growth
• It influences atmospheric weather
• It helps the beneficial microbes
• It influences the pest and diseases
• It supports human and animal life
• It helps for land preparation like ploughing, puddling, etc.,
• It helps to increase the efficiency of cultural operations like weeding, fertilizer
application etc., by providing optimum condition.

Leave a Reply