Summary
A soil-water extractor is described which uses an absorbent sponge material for sampling soil percolate and solution. Good agreement existed between soil extracts (1:5 soil:water) and extracts obtained from the extractor sponge after equilibration at low water tensions (pF 0–2.5) in the range, 0–100 μg/g soil (0–1400 μg/ml solution) for solute anions (Cl-, NO2 - and NO3 −, R2 > 0.98), and for ammonium ions (NH4 +, R2=0.93).
Percolate was recovered in a field soil in volumes sufficient to permit analysis of constituents. Concentrations of solute Cl- ions in these percolates were similar to those in the added water and in percolate from a zero-tension lysimeter. Poor relationships were obtained in the field between soil solution extracts from the sponge and 1:10 soil water extracts. For the present, the soil extractor may be used for sampling and monitoring movement of percolate and solute fronts, in the wetter range of soil water content.
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Tadros, V.T., McGarity, J.W. A method for collecting soil percolate and soil solution in the field. Plant Soil 44, 655–667 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00011383
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00011383