Laser Diffraction as An Innovative Alternative to Standard Pipette Method for Determination of Soil Texture Classes in Central Europe

The paper presents the comparison of soil particle size distribution determined by standard pipette method and laser diffraction. Based on the obtained results (542 soil samples from 271 sites located in the Nitra, Váh and Hron River basins), regression models were calculated to convert the results of the particle size distribution by laser diffraction to pipette method. Considering one of the most common soil texture classification systems used in Slovakia (according to Novák), the emphasis was placed on the determination accuracy of particle size fraction