4
Electrical conductivity (EC) is an important parame-
ter in evaluating irrigation water and fertilizer solu-
tions. Crops can be damaged if irrigated with water
with a high conductivity. The quality of irrigation wa-
ter has been classified into 5 separate categories
(See Appendix 3, p. 22). EC is also an indicator of
the strength of fertilizer solutions. In greenhouse ap-
plications and other situations requiring frequent fer-
tilization, EC should be checked regularly to ensure
the plants are getting sufficient nutrients while avoid-
ing the effects of salt toxicity. See Appendix 1 (p.
18) for a list of preferred EC values for some com-
mon plants. Typically, younger plants will require
lower EC than mature plants.
The
stainless
steel
soil
EC
probe
is
de-
signed to be in-
serted
directly
into soil. The
sensing surface
is composed of 2
pairs
of
elec-
trodes
on
the
probe tip. Addi-
t i o n a l l y ,
t h e
probe is narrow
in diameter so it
can be used ef-
fectively in plug
trays.
EC Probe
Sensor
Electrode
Pair
