Soybeans lose gallons of water daily during hot, dry conditions through transpiration. Plants transpire, or lose more than 98% of water taken up by the roots, through leaf tissue. Evapotranspiration (ET) describes the movement of water through evaporation from the soil and transpiration through plant surfaces, which is the movement of water from the soil into plant roots, through plant stems and leaves, and back out into the atmosphere. The rate of ET depends upon the soybean growth stage and the time of the year (Fig 1.) Both transpiration and evaporation need to be Continue reading
