A Field Comparison of Two Penetrometers

Penetrometers are commonly used to measure select soil physical properties for agronomic and forestry applications. Static penetrometers are most frequently used, but they tend to have a limited range of soil resistance that can be measured by a single penetrometer, and reproducibility of readings can be problematic. This study compared the performance of a dynamic penetrometer designed for use in soils applications with that of a commercially available static pocket penetrometer. The dynamic penetrometer effectively measured a wider range of soil resistance, and the readings were less variable, indicating better reproducibility of readings with the dynamic penetrometer.