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Non-rainfall atmospheric water input (NRWI), which is comprised of fog, dew and soil water vapour adsorption (WVA), has been proven to be an important water source in arid and semiarid environments. Its minor contribution to the water balance and the difficulty in measuring it have resulted in a wide variety of measurement methods (duration and quantification), especially for dew. Microlysimeters seem to be the most realistic method for dew measurement on natural surfaces and they can also detect WVA. This paper presents an automated microlysimeter that enables accurate studies of NRWI and evaporation on soil and small plants. Furthermore, we have developed a field strategy for their long term placement and installation which prevents damage from rainfall, soil movement or other field conditions, keeping the microlysimeters balanced and dry. This design allows the measurement of evaporation and NRWI on different cover types, including small plants. By monitoring the surface temperatures, dewfall and water vapour adsorption can be distinguished and the relative contribution of dew and WVA on the NRWI can also be found. Our automated microlysimeter design, construction and field installation have proven to be an useful and effective tool in an NRWI study. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.