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Congratulations on the purchase of your Field Scout
Soil & Water EC Meter. This instrument has been
specifically designed for direct measurement of salts in
soil media as well as water or nutrient solutions. This
manual describes how to use your meter and keep it
working accurately for many years. Please read it
thoroughly to get effective performance from your me-
ter.
The salinity of the soil solution, irrigation water or fertil-
izer solution is an important parameter affecting the
root zone environment. Any of these factors can have
a significant effect on plant growth and physiology.
The easiest way to monitor salinity is by measuring the
electrical conductivity (EC). EC is strongly correlated
to the salinity of the soil solution. EC measurement is
also affected by temperature and, to a lesser degree,
by soil moisture content.
Use this portable EC meter and probe to measure sa-
linity in greenhouse soil media right on the spot with-
out tedious soil sampling and preparation. Green-
house production managers can compare readings
from plant to plant and fine-tune their fertility program
because measurements can be made directly in a plug
tray cell without cannibalizing the seedlings. Turf
managers can monitor for high salt levels on golf
course greens and determine when to flush (leach)
salts before turf quality declines.
The meter comes with the Field Scout Soil/Water EC
probe. This single, stainless steel probe has a spe-
cially designed conical tip. It can measure liquid EC
(water or nutrient solutions) or in-situ soil salinity. The
probe automatically compensates for temperature.
Introduction
