What is Soil Moisture?
Photo Credit: https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth-soil-quality-lessons-and-videos
The total amount of water held in soil pores at any given point and includes gravitational, capillary and hygroscopic types of water. Soil moisture is affected by porosity, permeability, compaction, and bulk density.
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| Title | Source | Resource type and date | Short Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| How Drought Affects Soil Health | Iowa State University | Extension Webpage
Aug 2017 |
The effect of drought is evident in crop performance when the lack of water availability is severe. This water stress can affect soil chemical, physical, and biological activities that are essential for plant and soil health. |
| Laboratory Analysis of Manure | University of Missouri | Extension Fact Sheet
Nov 2018 |
To make efficient use of fertilizer nutrients in manure, nutrient levels must be determined by laboratory analysis. This publication outlines methods for obtaining and interpreting laboratory analyses of manure. |
| Youth Soil Quality Lessons and Videos – Estimating Soil Moisture by Feel and Appearance | University of Nebraska | Extension Website Not Dated |
The quality of soil depends upon a variety of factors. NRCS has developed Soil Quality Kit Guides, fact sheets and materials for teachers to integrate into their soils curriculum. In addition, a curriculum has been developed to use in the classroom. These materials were created with funds provided by the Nebraska Environmental Trust. YouTube videos supplement these curricula as well. |
| Capillary Rise | Purdue Soil Health Education Website | Video Sep 2017 |
Dr. John Graveel discusses capillary rise in soil. |
| Adhesion and Cohesion | Purdue Soil Health Education Website | Video Sep 2017 |
Dr. John Graveel, Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University discusses adhesion and cohesion within soil. |
| Soil Moisture | Purdue Soil Health Education Website | Video Sep 2017 |
Dr. John Graveel, Professor of Agronomy at Purdue University discusses soil moisture in regards to saturation, field capacity, wilting point, plant available water and oven dry weight. |
| Water Molecule | Purdue Soil Health Education Website | Image Not Dated |
Diagram of a water molecule. |
| Soil Quality Demonstrations and Procedures | USDA-ARS | Demonstration Protocol / Lesson Plan
Jan 2011 |
Water Infiltration, Water Holding Capacity, and Nitrate Leaching Tests. |
| Title | Source | Resource type and date | Short Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil Quality Information | Penn State | Extension Webpage
Aug 2012 |
Healthy soils yield healthy crops, But what is healthy soil and how do we achieve it? |
| Soil and Water Relationships | Noble Research Institute | Blog post from an independent research institute
Sep 2011 |
Soil texture and structure greatly influence water infiltration, permeability, and water-holding capacity. Soil porosity refers to the space between soil particles, which consists of various amounts of water and air. Porosity depends on both soil texture and structure. |
| Title | Source | Resource type and date | Short Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biodiversity Gradient: Baseline Soil Sampling | Michigan State University, LTER | Extension/Research Protocol
2001 |
Basic soil sampling methods using cores. Used to measure inorganic N and soil moisture. |
| MCSE: Soil Moisture by Time Domain Reflectometry | Michigan State University, LTER | Extension/Research Protocol
1989-2003 |
Protocol to measure soil moisture. |
| Soil Dryness Determination | Michigan State University, LTER | Extension/Research Protocol
2016 |
Gravimetric soil moisture calculations are taken from the difference in the wet and dry weights of a given soil sample. |
| Gravimetric Soil Moisture | Michigan State University, LTER | Extension/Research Protocol
Not Dated |
The amount of water or moisture in a given mass of soil is highly variable and is important to measure in field studies because it affects microbial activity, nutrient movement, and plant growth. To measure soil moisture content by the gravimetric method, a subsample of a fresh, sieved composite sample or a fresh soil core is weighed, oven dried until there is no further mass loss, and then reweighed. |
Last reviewed 10/1/19