Soil Techniques

This chapter presents a list of common soil sampling tools. There are many reasons to conduct soil surveys. Surveys are often conducted relatively close to the soil surface to determine the availably of nutrients required for crop growth, typically within 0–20 cm. This will vary depending on the purpose of the study and the type of crop or land use. Bulk density is a key property that influences the infiltration capacity, strength, penetration resistance, and quality of the soil. The chapter presents a simple guide to identify soil texture by hand. Practice is the best way to become comfortable with hand texturing. Soil augering is often conducted to validate soil maps or to provide a general indicator of soil characteristics without performing a full soil pit. Sampling of soil pore water is increasingly popular in assessments of nutrient and contaminant transport.