the moisture content of soil, on an oven-dry basis, at which plants wilt and fail to recover their turgidity when placed in a dark, humid atmosphere —synonym permanent wilting point —note 1. wilting point is a property of the soil and virtually independent of the kind of plant or environment; it corresponds to a soil moisture tension of 15 atmospheres (1.5 MPa) —note 2. the moisture content at the wilting point is termed the wilting coefficient and is generally expressed as a percent of soil dry weight (wilting percent) —see available waterThis definition last updated 08/19/2008