Core sampling technique for bulk density and porosity determination on a clay loam soil

Seasonal fluctuations in bulk density and porosity determined from soil cores have been observed to be independent of soil and cropping treatments on the clay and clay loam soils of southwestern Ontario. An experiment was conducted to determine if the fluctuations may be a result of inconsistencies in core sampling technique. Three core sampling techniques were compared on five dates on each of four long-term cropping treatments which provided a range in soil water contents and structure. The core sampling techniques compared were: (1) a typical hand-held, hammer driven, double cylinder core sampler with the recommended procedure; (2) a typical hand-held, hammer driven, double cylinder core sampler with an excess number of blows; (3) pressing the double cylinder core sampler into the soil hydraulically. Variations in core sampling technique significantly affected the observed values of bulk density, total porosity, and air-filled porosity at field soil water contents ranging from 12.6 to 23.8% by weight. However, hammering, compared with hydraulically pressing, the core sampler into the soil, appears to cause more distortion within the soil core which increases variability. The effect of sampling date, and its inherent effect on soil moisture, was generally greater than the effect of the core sampling techniques. Therefore, providing a consistent technique is used, observed seasonal fluctuations in bulk density, total porosity, and air-filled porosity on Brookston clay loam soil are apparently not the result of variations in the core sampling technique.