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The relative proportion of water that is held on the outer surface of soil particles and is freely available to a plant. It is water that is held in a soil between what is called its field capacity (FC) and its permanent wilting point (PWP). A general available water capacity for a sandy loam type soil might be in the region of 12% (with its FC being 18% and PWP 6%); by contrast a clay loam might be in the region of 20% (with its FC being 43% and PWP 23%).