A penetrometer for detecting soil compaction problems

Abstract

A description is given of a recording soil penetrometer that has been designed, constructed, and tested in the field. Marked cultivation hard pans have been detected with the penetrometer and have been shown subsequently to have a higher bulk density and a lower permeability than the soil immediately above and below. The operation of the instrument is extremely simple and it could be used in advisory work for detection of compaction problems.