Measuring Nitrate Leaching with Resin Bags

Principle

Small bags with a fixed diameter are filled with anion resin: a granular material onto which all nitrate is adsorbed that comes into contact with the material. These bags are incubated at a certain depth under an undisturbed soil profile, in order that all nitrate that is leached out above the bags is caught in the bag. After incubation, nitrate is detached from the resin by rinsing with KCl and the concentration is measured.