Reference soil Brazil 08: Nitisol

BR008

Nitisols occur mainly in the tropics and subtropics, as well as in areas with a Mediterranean type of climate. They are associated with basic rocks (e.g. basalts) or hard limestone or dolomite deposits.

Characteristics

Soils having a nitic horizon (a horizon with pronounced nut-shaped soil structure and significant amount of active iron) within 100 cm from the soil surface, and gradual to diffuse horizon boundaries between the surface and the underlying horizons. They do not have a ferric, plinthic or vertic horizon within 100 cm from the soil surface.

Distribution of Nitisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil BR008: Nitisols

Brief field description: Very deep, well drained, dark reddish brown clay soil derived from basic rock; slightly cracking when dry. Soil formed in weathered products of basalt of the 'Serra Geral' formation, Jurassic/Cretaceous. The sorptivity for water is high throughout the profile (although relatively less high in the first 65 cm). *) Brazilian classification: Latossolo Roxo Humico Distrofico. Reference soil BR 08 is comparable to soil profile 10 III RCC.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Ferralic-Vetic- Nitisol (Humic Alumic Rhodic)

Veti-Humic- Nitisol (Alumic Rhodic)

22-265 cm

nitic horizon

0-44 cm	ochric horizon
22-265 cm	nitic horizon
-	strongly humic

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Humi-Rhodic Ferralsol

Humic Ferralsol

0-44 cm	umbric A horizon
22-265 cm	ferralic B horizon
- cm	ferralic B horizon
- cm	umbric A horizon
-	strongly humic

0-44 cm	ochric A horizon
22-265 cm	oxic B horizon
-	high organic matter content in the B horizon

Local classification:	Latossolo Roxo Húmico distrófico

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Humic Hapludox
USDA-SCS (1975)	Humic Haplorthox udic clayey kaolinitic thermic

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Physical characteristics

Particle size distribution

Depth (cm)	Gravel % v/v	very coarse sand % w/w	coarse sand % w/w	medium sand % w/w	fine sand % w/w	very fine sand % w/w	Total sand % w/w	coarse silt % w/w	fine silt % w/w	Total silt % w/w	Clay % w/w
0-22	-	0.1	0.1	0.3	1.0	0.8	2.3	6.2	9.7	15.9	81.9
22-44	-	0.1	0.1	0.4	1.4	1.2	3.2	2.9	11.3	14.2	82.7
44-65	-	0.1	0.2	0.4	1.5	1.2	3.4	4.8	10.8	15.6	81.0
65-120	-	0.1	0.2	0.3	1.1	1.0	2.7	5.1	8.1	13.2	84.2
120-200	-	0.2	0.2	0.3	1.0	1.1	2.8	4.5	7.5	12.0	85.2
310-350	-	0.1	0.1	0.3	1.1	1.2	2.8	6.0	9.2	15.2	82.0
420-450	-	0.1	0.2	0.2	1.1	1.3	2.9	6.2	11.1	17.3	79.9
520-550	-	0.1	0.2	0.2	1.1	1.3	2.9	4.9	11.5	16.4	80.7
620-650	-	0.1	0.2	0.2	1.1	1.5	3.1	6.9	11.3	18.2	78.5

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-22	-	91	-	25.2	81.9
8-13	0.925	-	-	-	-
22-44	-	89	-	40.9	82.7
30-35	0.977	-	-	-	-
82-87	0.932	-	-	-	-
44-65	-	88	-	1.0	81.0
200-205	0.929	-	-	-	-
65-120	-	93	-	0.0	84.2
120-200	-	94	-	0.5	85.2
310-350	-	92	-	0.5	82.0
420-450	-	91	-	0.5	79.9
520-550	-	93	-	0.9	80.7
620-650	-	94	-	0.5	78.5

Other physical data

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	pF 0 % v/v	pF 1.0 % v/v	pF 1.5 % v/v	pF 2.0 % v/v	pF 2.3 % v/v	pF 2.7 % v/v	pF 3.4 % v/v	pF 4.2 % v/v
8-13	0.925	61.8	58.6	49.5	40.2	36.5	33.4	27.4	26.5
30-35	0.977	63.3	58.3	49.3	42.6	40.0	38.2	31.2	30.5
82-87	0.932	62.5	59.9	51.2	42.9	40.0	37.9	30.9	29.9
200-205	0.929	60.3	59.5	53.2	46.9	42.8	40.5	30.8	29.9

Chemical data

Depth (cm)	pH H2O	pHKCl	EC 1: 2.5 dS/m	CaCO3 % w/w	C % w/w	N %	C / N	Exch. Acid cmol(c)/kg	Exch. Al cmol(c)/kg	Ca cmol(c)/kg	Mg cmol(c)/kg	K cmol(c)/kg	Na cmol(c)/kg	Sum Cations cmol(c)/kg
0-22	4.2	3.8	0.18	-	2.58	0.23	11	3.6	3.8	0.8	0.5	0.2	0.0	1.5
22-44	4.4	3.8	0.06	-	1.76	0.17	10	3.6	3.7	0.8	0.2	0.1	0.2	1.3
44-65	4.7	3.9	0.04	-	1.34	0.10	13	2.7	2.7	1.0	0.2	0.0	0.3	1.5
65-120	5.1	4.2	0.01	-	0.75	0.04	19	1.4	1.3	0.6	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.8
120-200	4.8	4.3	0.03	-	0.50	0.02	25	0.7	0.6	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.5
310-350	5.4	4.4	0.01	-	0.14	-	-	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.4
420-450	5.4	4.4	0.01	-	0.09	-	-	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.3
520-550	5.5	4.3	0.01	0	0.06	-	-	0.7	0.7	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.4
620-650	5.3	4.2	0.01	0	0.03	-	-	0	0	0.4	0.1	0.0	0.2	0.7

Depth (cm)	Base sat. %	CEC soil cmol(c)/kg	CEC clay cmol(c)/kg	CEC org cmol(c)/kg	ECEC cmol(c)/kg	Al sat. %	ESP %
0-22	12	12.2	15	9.0	-	31	0
22-44	13	10.2	12	6.2	-	36	2
44-65	17	9.0	11	4.7	-	30	3
65-120	11	7.3	9	2.6	-	18	1
120-200	9	5.8	7	1.8	-	10	0
310-350	7	6.1	7	0.5	-	5	2
420-450	6	4.8	6	0.3	-	6	0
520-550	5	7.5	9	0.2	-	9	1
620-650	14	5.1	6	0.1	-	0	4

Depth (cm)	pH NaF	P Retention %	ODOE	Al o % w/w	Si o % w/w	Fe d % w/w	Al d % w/w	Fe p % w/w	Al p % w/w	C p % w/w	Fe o % w/w
0-22	-	45	-	0.36	0.03	8.56	0.67	-	-	-	0.45
22-44	-	44	-	0.32	0.02	8.48	0.71	-	-	-	0.48
44-65	-	48	-	0.35	0.02	8.97	0.71	-	-	-	0.49
65-120	-	56	-	0.39	0.03	8.85	0.72	-	-	-	0.56
120-200	-	-	-	0.39	0.04	8.75	0.82	-	-	-	0.57
310-350	-	-	-	0.29	0.05	8.48	0.57	-	-	-	0.52
420-450	-	-	-	0.29	0.05	8.50	0.56	-	-	-	0.54
520-550	-	-	-	0.28	0.04	8.42	0.54	-	-	-	0.48
620-650	-	50	-	0.28	0.04	8.36	0.51	-	-	-	0.47

Elemental composition of the clay

Depth (cm)	SiO2 % w/w	Al2O3 % w/w	Fe2O3 % w/w	CaO % w/w	MgO % w/w	K2O % w/w	Na2O % w/w	TiO2 % w/w
65-120	33.6	30.0	20.3	0.00	0.16	0.01	0.04	2.23
120-200	32.8	30.6	20.5	0.00	0.15	0.02	0.03	2.07

Depth (cm)	MnO2 % w/w	P2O5 % w/w	Ign.Loss clay % w/w	Total Clay % w/w	SiO2/Al2O3 mol/mol	SiO2/Fe2O3 mol/mol	SiO2 / R mol/mol	Al2O3/Fe2O3 mol/mol
65-120	0.08	0.18	11.8	98.4	1.9	4.4	1.3	2.3
120-200	0.08	0.18	12.2	98.6	1.8	4.3	1.3	2.3

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
65-120	weak	-	-	weak	-	medium to strong	strong	-	-	-	-	-
120-200	weak	-	-	weak	-	medium to strong	strong	-	-	-	-	-

Profile description

Ap 0-22 cm	dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4, dry) (2.5YR 3/3, moist)clay,weak to moderate very fine and fine subangular blocky to granular,slightly hard very friable sticky plastic,many very fine pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
22-44 cm	(2.5YR 3/5, dry) dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4, moist)clay,strong very fine and fine granular,slightly hard very friable sticky plastic,many very fine pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
BA 44-65 cm	dark reddish brown (2.5YR 3/4, moist)clay,strong very fine and fine subangular blocky to granular,slightly hard very friable sticky plastic,many very fine pores,gradual smooth boundary to,
Bw1 65-145 cm	(10R 3/5, moist)clay,strong very fine subangular blocky to porous massive,slightly hard very friable sticky plastic,many very fine pores,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bw2 145-265 cm	(10R 3/5, moist)clay,strong very fine subangular blocky to porous massive,slightly hard very friable sticky plastic,many very fine pores,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	basalt
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	basalt of the 'Serra Geral' formation, Jurassic/Cretaceous.
Soil Depth	265cm
Texture of parent material	clayey
Weathering Resistance	poor
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	highly

Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	sheet

Major crops	maize
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	mixed farming
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	LANDUSE: Soja and green beans
Status of vegetation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	cut over
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	evergreen forest

Altitude	760m
Physiographic Unit	broad low hill
Physiographic position of the site	upper slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	pediplain
Slope	3%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-40cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	40-250cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	high
Estimated run off (class)	slow

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Surface cracking	small cracks (width less than 1 cm, or depth less than 50 cm)
Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none

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Reference soil Brazil 08: Nitisol

Characteristics

Reference soil BR008: Nitisols

Classification