Article Understanding the mechanisms of soil water repellency from n...

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Effect of drying temperature on the severity of soil water repellency. DOI: 10.1097 / 00010694-199810000-00002.

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Research on the Effects of Drying Temperature on Nitrogen Detection of Different Soil Types by Near Infrared Sensors.

doi: 10.3390 / s18020391

Understanding the mechanisms of soil water repellency from nanoscale to ecosystem scale: a review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-018-2195-9

The role of soil moisture in controlling water repellency: New evidence from forest soils in Portugal.

DOI: 10.1016 / S0022-1694 (00) 00190-6

The Relationship between Soil Moisture and Soil Water Repellency Persistence in Hydrophobic Soils.

https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092322

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When in college many years ago, we oven dried soils. Then maybe 15 years ago, our soil scientist took volumetric samples, but then broke them up on bags for air drying, stating that air drying is the proper way as compared to oven drying. From what I can surmise, breaking up the soil is needed for air drying, and it might take weeks. When in college, we would saturate relatively undesturbed volumetric samples from the bottom, and then use pressure apparatus to push the water out at designated pressures, such as 1/3 bar and 15 bar. So I am not a professional soils scientist, but would suggest that going from saturated to various levels of moisture toward air dry is probably preferable. When you want to air dry, the sample is then disturbed so it can effectively dry. If you live in a humid climate, a dehumidifier may help it dry faster. But for research, consult the standard methods and stick with them. Air drying an undesturbed soil core may take a long time, so breaking it up is appropriate, but then rehydrating a disturbed soil and then taking it back through the drying cycle is likely somewhat different than using an undisturbed sample, and then measuring from saturated to air dry.

If I had to pick a temperature, for expediency, low humidity set at or approaching 100 degrees C (boiling point, but probably not hot enough to volatile organics). I think in my early college days, 105 degrees C was the typical setting.