Impact of soil water content and core sampler diameter at sampling for dry soil fragment size distributions

DÍAZ-ZORITA, MARTÍN; GROVE, JOHN H; PERFECT, ED

COMMUNICATIONS IN SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT ANALYSIS

Marcel Dekker Inc.

Lugar: Ney York; Año: 2008 vol. 39 p. 2752 - 2767

0010-3624

Soil conditions at sampling and the dimensions of the sample are critical factors when soil aggregation is indirectly characterized by determining the distribution of soil fragments. Our objective was to determine the effects of gravimetric soil water content and core sampler diameter (16, 54 and 84mm) at sampling on the dry fragment size distribution of 2 soils (Typic Paleudalf and Typic Hapludalf) under undisturbed Festuca arundinacea L. sod and recently roto-tilled treatments. The 16-mm core diameter sampler compressed the roto-tilled soil and it was not appropriate for soil aggregation studies. The fragmentation of samples taken with core diameters greater than 54mm decreased with decreasing soil water content. A greater probability of discriminating between undisturbed and fragmented silt loam or clay loam soils was observed when sampling with a 54mm diameter probe and when the soil had a mean soil water content of 237g kg-1 or at a potential of – 0.61MPa.