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SOILMOISTURE EQUIPMENT CORP.
P.O. Box 30025, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 U.S.A.
Telephone 805-964-3525 - Fax No. 805-683-2189
Email: [email protected] - Website: http://www.soilmoisture.com
SOILMOISTURE
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On these operating instructions
If the text follows a mark (as shown on the left), this means that an important instruction follows.
If the text follows a mark (as shown on the left), this means that an important warning follows relating to danger
to the user or damage to the apparatus.
Introduction
The bi-partite root auger is part of the root auger set for sampling to a depth of 2 m. It includes an Edelman auger, a
Riverside auger, an impact-absorbing hammer and various accessories. The root auger lends itself to taking undisturbed,
uniform soil samples of maximal 15 cm. The root auger can be used in almost any type of soil.
Generally speaking, it is essential to trees to have a complex and extensive root system. This root system allows exploita-
tion of a large soil volume, which in turn renders full absorption of water and nutrients. A well-developed root system will
reveal the features of a soil profile, such as moisture content, nutrients, air and the presence of layers that are hard to root.
Rootage research is essential in understanding the rootability, depth and complexity of root systems in differing soil layers.
It also helps to locate physical or chemical barriers in the soil profile. Rootage information also allows attuning to optimal
fertilisation and soil cultivation.
1.
Description
The root auger set contains bottom parts with auger bodies belonging to the root auger, Edelman auger and the River-
side auger. In addition, it contains a standard upper part with detachable handle, a short upper part with beating head, an
impact-absorbing hammer, a utility probe, a spare drilling crown and accessories.
An extension rod can be attached to the root auger to allow augering to a depth of 2
m. The rod is attached to the auger by a conical thread connection. The complete root
auger set is contained in an aluminium transport case.
1.1
Root auger
The auger body (see figure) consists of a steel cylinder (2) holding an exchangeable,
toothed drilling-crown (1). The drilling crown is made from hardened steel and its tooth-
ing allows cutting through the rooted soil. The top end of the cylinder is closed and has
a breather hole (3). The auger body is sturdy and as such suitable for use in hard soils.
The cylinder’s diameter is 8 cm, its operational depth is 15 cm and its volume is 750 cc.
Constant volume and surface values are essential in comparing the root density of dif-
fering soil samples.
To the bottom part (see figures on this and next page), a gear casing (4) with grease
nipple (5) is attached. A detachable crank handle (6) can be fitted to the gear casing. It
is used to operate the extruder unit. The extruder unit consists of an extruder (8) and a
combined gear rack and gear-wheel (9, 10).
At a distance of 5 cm above the gear casing, a pin (11) is driven right through the han-
dle. The pin can be removed and held in a dummy hole (12). The pin blocks the extruder
in its lower position to prevent damage during hammering
in. It has a bracket to clamp it onto the auger.
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