Soil Moisture
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Soil solution sampling
Soil solution sampling is a method whereby solution is extracted from the unsaturated (root) zone. Depending on the analysis required, different techniques are available although they have common parts: a porous cup, a tube and a connection to put the system under negative pressure. It is the material of the porous cup which determines the quality and quantity of sample.
| Material | Diameter | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Porous Ceramic | 31 & 63mm | Very large sample but brittle cups which can break. Ceramic can interfere with ion exchange and pH. Cannot tolerate frost. Very good value. |
| Teflon/Quartz | 21mm | Inert and very durable material. Good sample size, frost resistant. No contamination of sample or ion exchange. The ideal soil solution sampler but relatively expensive. |
| Micro and Macro Rhizon | 2.5 & 4.5mm | Very small diameter giving minimal disturbance. Inert material gives no ion exchange or pH change. Very low cost but small sample size |
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Typical soil moisture sampling system |
Samplers with large ceramic cup |
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Teflon/quartz sampling system |
Rhizon soil moisture samplers |