STELZNER® agricultural measurement systems

Determining the soil density

The penetrometer is used to precisely determine the soil density. The stainless steel probe is scaled to mark the soil depth. The display features an easy-to-read colour scale. Plants living in dense soils can only absorb a limited amount of water and nutrients. Densely compacted soil also restricts the air exchange in the soil and reduces the N-mineralization.

This simple and sturdy hand penetrometer can measure the penetration resistance in soil. It is held vertically and then pressed into the soil with an even pressure on both hand grips. The easy-to-read colour display then shows an analogue reading of the penetration resistance.
The penetrometer is used in agriculture or sport/golf maintenance applications for detecting compacted layers of soil. This allows you to perform generalized pedologic tests and basic foundation surveys (for determining the carrying capacity). You can also examine the expected growth conditions for plants and trees.

The penetrometer is delivered with two cone-shaped tips. The small cone (with the smaller surface) is used for solidly packed soils while the large cone (with the larger surface) is used for softer soils. There are two displays corresponding to the type of cone being used which are calibrated based on the cone's surface area.