SENSITIVE METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS MEASUREMENT OF THE CARBON-DIOXIDE EVOLUTION RATE OF SOIL SAMPLES

A differential infrared CO2 analyser combined with a 12 channel gas handling system have been used for the measurement of CO2 evolution rates of soil samples. A constant flow of air over the soil was maintained during the incubation period. Automatic sequential measurement and recording of the increase of the CO2 content of the flushed air of the 12 channels lasted 24 min with a dwell time of 2 min per channel. This technique has proven to be very useful for accurate and rapid measurement of the biological activities in untreated and treated soil. © 1979 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.