The gradation of soils, or soil texture, affects water and nutrient holding and drainage capabilities. For sand-based soils, particle size can be the dominant characteristic affecting soil performances and hence crop. Sieving has long been the technique of choice for soil texture analysis, although laser diffraction instruments are increasingly used as they considerably speed up the analytical process, and provide highly reproducible results.
Particle size analysis in the agriculture industry is paramount because unwanted materials will contaminate products if they are not detected.  By having an automated particle size analyzer, companies can closely monitor their processes.