Abstract
AN instantaneous method for estimating the moisture content of soil, at any particular spot below the surface of the ground, even approximately, should be very useful in plant physiology, irrigation, and in soil science generally. The high dielectric constant of water suggested to me that the variations in capacity of a ‘leaky’ condenser permanently buried in the soil should serve this purpose.
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BALLS, W. Rapid Estimation of Water-Content in Undisturbed Soil and in Bales of Cotton. Nature 129, 505–506 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/129505b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/129505b0
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