Current methods of measuring soil water potential are reviewed, and the limitations of each are noted. The need for a transducer that will measure soil water potential over a wide moisture range for long periods of time is delineated. The concept of utilizing an adsorptive surface that resembles the soil in its water holding capacity as a transducer is discussed. Various designs and materials are tested for such a transducer.
All designs tested did not fulfill the requirements needed for a truly useful transducer. However, experimental results show that modification of the adsorptive surface should allow construction of a unit that will be useful in soil water research
