Drying of soil samples exposed to high fluxes of air ions of both polarity, produced by corona electrodes, were studied by a beta‐ray gauge. The conventional methods of air‐drying and oven‐drying of soil samples were compared with the new technique. Fluxes of 0.94 x 1012positive and 1.83 x 1012negative air ions cm‐2s‐1reduced drying time of samples by at least three times over the air‐drying controls. Although oven‐drying at a high temperature was the fastest drying method, air ions maintained steady‐state soil temperature during the drying process at 4.5° and 7.3°C below that of the control and ambient temperatures, respectively. There was no significant change in pH, electrical conductivity, and organic matter content values of the dried soil samples of Dalhousie clay, Macdonald sandy loam and St. Sophie sand. Electric wind produced by the ionic drag is proposed to be the principal driving force for the enhancement of evaporation rates from the soil samples. Electroconvection and electrostriction that arise due to the interactions of an external electric field with soil dielectrics may also have contributed to the drying enhancement.