Electrical conductivity (EC) is the most common measure of soil salinity and is indicative of the ability of an aqueous solution to carry an electric current. Soil salinity refers to dissolved salts such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. The salts may not only be chlorides but carbonates as well. Fertilizers such as …
Soil pH defines the relative acidity or alkalinity of the soil solution. The pH scale in natural systems ranges from 0 to 14. A pH value of 7.0 is neutral. Values below 7.0 are acid and those above 7.0 are alkaline, or basic. Many agricultural soils have a soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Soil …
Dielectric permittivity (ε) is grounded in complex physics but in simple terms it can be described as the ability of a substance to hold an electrical charge. The dielectric constant (Ka) is the ratio of the permittivity of a substance to free space. The value of Ka in air is 1 and in water Ka …
Capillary matric potential is sometimes referred to as tension or pressure head (ψ, hPa) is the cohesive attractive force between a soil particle and water in the pore spaces in the soil particle/water/air matrix. Typical ranges are 0 to 10,000,000 hPa where 0 is near saturation and 10,000,000 hPa is dryness. The drier the soil …
