Meters
The amount of salt present in soil and water can be measured in the field using a salinity or electrical conductivity (EC) meter.
Water that contains salt is able to conduct electricity. An EC meter measures the ability of a solution to conduct electricity between two small electrodes that are attached to the salinity meter when it is dipped into a water sample. As the concentration of salt in the solution increases, so does the EC reading.
An EC meter can also be used to measure the amount of salt in soil by mixing a soil sample with water and then testing the EC of the solution.
Page last updated: 26 February 2011
