Question

Choose one of the ways that soil moisture is measured. How does it work? It is a direct or indirect measure of soil moisture? Explain.

Answer 1

there are different ways to measure soil moisture, some are direct and some are indirect. direct methos are gravimetric methods, using methyl alcohol, volumetric method. indirect methods are Gypsum block,tensiometer,neutron probe, etc.,tensiometer is one of the most widely used method in measuing soil moisuture, it is indirect method.tensiometer is sealed water filled tubes, it has ceramic tip at bottom and vacuum gauge at top. it measure that potato root needs to overcome to absorb water from the soil. tensiometer water move between tube and soil through ceramic tip. the wetter the soil- lower the valus.