noun
- Plural of echard; the portion of soil water that is unavailable to plants because it is held too tightly by soil particles.
Usage: technical; soil science
Examples
- The echards in clay soils are typically much higher than in sandy soils.
- Plants cannot extract echards from the soil no matter how much they need water.
- Understanding echards is important for irrigation planning in agriculture.
- The amount of echards depends on soil texture and mineral composition.