Soil conductivity is defined as which of the following?

• A. It is a measure of soil moisture.
• B. It is a measure of the salinity of a soil.
• C. It is the soil temperature.
• D. It is the soil pH.

Answer: (B)

Soil conductivity is the soil’s ability to conduct electric current, which mainly comes from the dissolved salts present in the soil water. The more salts (ions) dissolved in the soil solution, the greater the conductivity, so it serves as a practical proxy for soil salinity. It’s not a direct measure of how wet the soil is (moisture can influence readings, but the definition centers on dissolved salts), nor is it a direct measure of temperature or pH (those are separate properties). Therefore, soil conductivity is defined by the salinity of the soil.