Samenvatting

Soil compaction and soil bulk density are key soil properties affecting soil health and soil ecosystem services like crop production, water retention and purification and carbon sequestration. The standard method for soil bulk density measurements using Kopecky rings is very labour intensive, time consuming and leaves notable damage to the field. This study tested a portable gamma ray sensor (RhoC) for in situ bulk density measurements up to 1 m depth. Measurements were made in two agricultural fields in the Netherlands (a sandy clay loam and a sandy soil), with large variation in sub-soil compaction. Keywords: gamma-ray attenuation, in situ measurement, mineral soil, novel sensor technique, RhoC-sensor, soil compaction, soil monitoring, soil organic carbon stocks, soil threat analysis