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RIOT Technology Corp.
| #220
–
10114 McDonald Park Rd | North Saanich V8L5X8, BC Canada | +1.250.412.6642
All Rights Reserved
©2020,
RIOT Technology Corp.
Note: Required Soil Container / Box
Must be of sufficient volume to contain enough soil to extend at least 7-8 cm around the probe
in all directions. If necessary, a container may be made from wood, if so, then it should be lined
with heavy plastic sheeting to prevent any loss of moisture due to drainage or absorption by the
wood.
The above example box is a commercially available wooden planter box, approximate inner di-
mensions 7.25” high by 7.5” wide
by 32” long (18.5 cm x 19 cm x 82 cm). This can contain up
to 28 liters of soil.
Additional Equipment
The following is required for manual determination of soil moisture content:
•
Digital scale: with a minimum resolution to 0.1 g
•
Ceramic microwavable bowl
•
Microwave oven
Safety Equipment
Keep Safe and Protect Your Lungs!
The following safety equipment is required:
•
Strong rubber gloves: always wear gloves when handling soil
•
Face mask: dry soil is very dusty; avoid inhaling dust, particularly until the second or
third moisture level
•
Lab coat: protect your clothes from becoming soiled
Procedure
1. Initial Soil Preparation
Soil is left out for two to three weeks in uncovered containers to allow it dry down to the ambi-
ent humidity. Alternatively, soil may be oven dried to reduce moisture content down to approxi-
mately 2-3%.
Once soil has softened a bit (about 1.5 weeks or more), break down all clumps by rubbing out
by hand. Discard any debris, tiny rocks, etc. Soil must be clump free and as uniform as possible
in size (less than 2 mm).
Once soil is broken down, measure the soil volume. Volume is measured using a plastic 2L
measuring cup or similar. The soil is scooped into the cup and settled by tapping the bottom of
the cup on the table. This is done by 1/2 litre increments. Place the measure soil into the soil
box until sufficient soil has been obtained. Note that some soils may collapse and pack more
tightly once a certain level of moisture is reached, plus some soil is lost via spills, stuck on
gloves, etcetera, so it is better to have extra soil rather than to discover later that there is not
enough. Record the total volume of soil started with. This will be used to estimate the amount
of water to add at each stage.
