New method simplifies soil water testing, improving agricultural practices worldwide.
The researchers developed a simpler method to figure out how water moves through soil. They used data from soil samples and field measurements to find the soil's water conductivity and diffusivity without needing detailed soil information. The method was tested on soils from Hawaii and California, showing promising results. However, there were some discrepancies in conductivity values for very low water levels. Overall, the simplified method shows potential for future testing and large-scale use in calculating soil parameters.