In this section we describe the most common laboratory-based and in situ water extraction methods for soil and plant samples.

In a table we compare the performance of the various extraction techniques. This comparison is necessary to choose the best extraction technique based on the suitability of that technique for a particular soil and/or plant sample and the type of extracted water (e.g., bulk vs. mobile soil water) although also many other factors need to be considered, such as the availability of resources (funding, time, and labor), the number of samples to be analyzed, and the type of equipment available in the laboratory.

Awareness of the limitations and benefits of the different methods can help inform the experimental design based on the available resources and equipment.