Reference soil China 13: Anthrosol
Anthrosols occur over large areas in the Far East where growing of paddy rice takes place for centuries, in the Middle East where prolonged irrigation has been practised, and over small areas in western Europe and other parts of the world where long-time fertilization and earth-manuring have profoundly modified existing soils
Characteristics
Soils having either a hortic, irragric, plaggic or terric horizon 50 cm or more thick, or an anthraquic horizon and an underlying hydragric horizon with a combined thickness of 50 cm or more.
Reference soil CN013: Anthrosols
Very deep, well drained, dark brown silty clay derived from irrigation deposits overlying loess of silt loam texture. The topsoil has a low organic carbon content and is very hard when dry. The soil has very weakly expressed subangular blocky structures becoming porous massive below 50 cm depth. Throughout the first meter few faint reddish mottles occur, caused by either reddish coloured irrigation mud or redox processes resulting from too long saturation. Soil reaction is alkaline throughout. PARENT MATERIAL: subsoil is probably loess; topsoil of about 50 cm is silty clay deposited by irrigation water / HYDROLOGY: groundwater level is at a depth of about 10 m / SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS: soil slakes easily when irrigated; the dried up surface crust shows heavy polygonal cracking / LAND USE: main crops and growth period: winterwheat (September-July), corn (April-September), rape (April-June), sunflower, flax; plowing is done by tractor, weeding and harvesting manually. Irrigation: since 200 years, 5 basin floodings per growing season of 900-1200 m3/ha (60-80 m3/mu). Water quality is good, although silt content is high; infiltration rate decreases with each gift. Fertilizers (P and complex) and animal dung are always used (quantity given is doubtful). Yields of major crops: winterwheat 3750 kg/ha (500 jin/mu), corn 9000 kg/ha (1200 jin/mu), generally 5250-6000 kg/ha (700-800 jin/mu), rape 1500-2250 kg/ha (200-300 jin/mu). Notes on profile description: horizon boundary at 28 cm is disputable; very rare river pebbles are present from 0-50 cm.