Surface extraction of the soil solution

Suction plates, in contrast to suction cups, offer the advantage of areal extraction of the soil solution from undisturbed soil. The plane from which the percolate is extracted is precisely defined and the sample is not just a point measurement. The plates are inserted laterally starting from a trench and thus extract the soil solution from the undisturbed soil area above.

Note: No stones should be placed on the suction surface. Slurry the suction area with finely screened soil from on-site or with quartz sand.

Structure

The surface of the suction plate consists of a nylon film with a pore size of 0.45 µm, which ensures hydrological contact with the soil. This is supported by an underlying layer of hydrophilic PE sinter. The suction plate housing is made of inert PP as standard, but is also available in stainless steel.

Function

By attaching PE hoses (connected e.g. via Y-pieces, bridges or cock banks) to the three hose connections, a constant and uniform tension is applied to the bottom of the soil column. By connecting sample bottles to the system, uniform and extensive soil water samples can be taken with a pump.