Reference soil China 39: Chernozem

CN039

Chernozems are typically found in the long-grass steppe regions of the world, particularly in Eastern Europe and North America (Canada and the USA).

Characteristics

Soils having a very dark mollic horizon (thick, brownish or blackish surface horizon with a significant accumulation of organic matter and high base saturation) and secondary carbonates within 50 cm of the lower limit of the Ah horizon, but within 200 cm from the soil surface. They have no petrocalcic horizon between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface, no secondary gypsum and no uncoated sand and silt grains on structural pedfaces

Distribution of Chernozems (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CN039: Chernozem

Very deep, well drained, (very) dark brown to yellowish brown silty clay loam derived from loess. The soil has a clearly developed plough pan below the arable layer and has a medium amount of organic carbon to a depth of about 80 cm. Below 35 cm the soil becomes calcareous. Soil reaction is alkaline throughout. EROSION: soil erosion is stopped by windbreaks some 500 m apart. LAND USE: main crop maize (9000 kg/ha; 1200 jin/mu) on gouvernment contracts. This crop is more or less collectively grown, although every farmer knows which rows of maize he has to cultivate. Rotation is not practized; at the site maize was grown continuously for more than 10 years. Ploughing is done by tractor; weeding and harvesting by hand. Fertilization: N (urea) ca 225 kg/ha (30 jin/mu), P ca 120 kg/ha (16 jin/mu), no K. Manure use is minimal. Additional crops: some wheat (3000 kg/ha; 400 jin/mu; economically not interesting), locally some sunflower. Subsistence crops: soybean (2250 kg/ha; 300 jin/mu), potato, bean. Virtually no products are marketted locally. Farmers in this area use the Solonetz (CN038) for extensive grazing. Average size of farm 0.4 ha (6 mu) up to 0.7 ha (10 mu), exclusive of grazing land. In 1993 average annual income based on maize only was ca 3000 Y per family (about US$ 600). CLIMATE: additional climatic data are available for the weather station of Harbin (45 41 N/126 37 E; 172 m a.s.l.; 77 km SSE from site; relevance moderate) (see CN038).

WRB 2006:

WRB 1998:

calcic horizon Chernozem(Pachic Siltic)

Silti- Hypocalcic Chernozem

0-80 cm	mollic horizon
property	secondary carbonates

0-80 cm	mollic horizon
property	secondary carbonates

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988:

FAO-UNESCO 1974:

Calcic Chernozem

0-80 cm	mollic A horizon
- cm	mollic A horizon
	soft powdery lime

0-80 cm	mollic A horizon
	soft powdery lime

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Haploboroll

fine

montmorillonitic

frigid

Classification (other)	Haplic chernozem; Pachi-Ustic Isohumosol
Common name	Limy black earth

Location:

Heilongjiang Province, km14 along Zhaozhou-Changwu road

More images

Physical

Particle size distribution:

Depth (cm)		Gravel (%)	Very Coarse Sand (%)	Coarse Sand (%)	Medium Sand (%)	Fine Sand (%)	Very Fine Sand (%)	Total Sand (%)	Coarse Silt (%)	Fine Silt (%)	Total Silt (%)	Clay (%)
0-15	:	-	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.8	16.6	-	30.6	15.7	46.3	35.5
15-22	:	-	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.6	16.8	-	28.6	16.9	45.5	36.8
22-35	:	-	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.6	16.9	-	28.5	17.0	45.5	36.8
40-70	:	-	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.3	12.6	-	31.7	17.3	49.0	37.8
100-135	:	-	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.3	10.2	-	32.1	21.9	54.0	35.5
200-220	:	-	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.3	14.7	-	35.3	20.6	55.9	29.1

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)		Bulk Density (kg/dm³)	pF 0 (% w/v)	pF 1.0 (% w/v)	pF 1.5 (% w/v)	pF 2.0 (% w/v)	pF 2.3 (% w/v)	pF 2.7 (% w/v)	pF 3.4 (% w/v)	pF 4.2 (% w/v)	pF 2.5 (%)
16-21	:	1.226	47.5	45.1	41.4	38.1	36.2	33.3	25.7	19.7	-
45-50	:	1.136	50.0	48.9	42.6	37.0	34.1	30.3	26.0	19.3	-
110-115	:	1.306	46.9	45.6	40.8	36.4	34.4	31.7	27.0	19.9	-

Chemical characteristics:

Depth (cm)		pH H2O	pH KCl	EC 1 : 2.5 (mS/cm)	CaCO3 (%)	Org. C (%)	Org. N (%)	C / N	Exch. Acid (cmol/kg)	Exch. Al (cmol/kg)	Ca (cmol/kg)	Mg (cmol/kg)	K (cmol/kg)	Na (cmol/kg)	Sum Cations (cmol/kg)
0-15	:	8.0	7.3	0.25	1.3	2.01	-	-	-	-	43.0	2.8	0.2	0.2	-
15-22	:	8.1	7.3	0.14	0.7	1.82	-	-	-	-	42.7	3.2	0.2	0.3	-
22-35	:	8.1	7.3	0.18	1.0	1.61	-	-	-	-	42.9	2.8	0.1	0.3	-
40-70	:	8.4	7.4	0.15	3.4	1.12	-	-	-	-	60.3	3.8	0.1	0.3	-
100-135	:	8.4	7.4	0.16	4.5	0.38	-	-	-	-	49.5	4.8	0.1	0.2	-
200-220	:	8.4	7.5	0.16	6.0	0.26	-	-	-	-	32.7	4.8	0.2	0.1	-

Depth (cm)		CEC Soil (cmol/kg)	CEC Clay (cmol/kg)	CEC Org (cmol/kg)	ECEC (cmol/kg)	Base sat. (%)	Al sat. (%)	ESP (%)
0-15	:	30.2	-	7.0	-	-	-	1
15-22	:	30.7	-	6.4	-	-	-	1
22-35	:	30.1	-	5.6	-	-	-	1
40-70	:	24.7	-	3.9	-	-	-	1
100-135	:	18.8	-	1.3	-	-	-	1
200-220	:	13.3	-	0.9	-	-	-	1

Depth (cm)		P Olsen (mg/kg)	P Bray (mg/kg)	pH CaCl2	CaSO4.2H2O (%)
0-15	:	27.3	-	-	-
15-22	:	12.8	-	-	-
22-35	:	5.5	-	-	-
40-70	:	3.7	-	-	-
100-135	:	3.3	-	-	-
200-220	:	9.1	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy:

Depth (cm)		Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Vermiculite	Chlorite	Smec	Halloysite	Mixed layer	Quar	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Hematite
0-15	:	weak	weak	-	weak	medium to strong	-	-	weak	-	-	-	-
15-22	:	weak	weak	-	very weak	strong	-	-	weak	-	-	-	-
22-35	:	weak	weak	-	weak	very strong	-	-	weak	-	-	-	-
40-70	:	weak	weak	-	weak	strong	-	-	weak	-	-	-	-
100-135	:	weak	weak	-	weak	strong	-	-	weak	-	-	-	-
200-220	:	weak	weak	-	weak	strong	-	-	weak	-	-	-	-

Profile description

Ap1 0-15 cm	very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2, moist), silt loam structureless, weak fine crumb, very friable, common many micro pores, abrupt smooth boundary to,
Ap2 15-22 cm	very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2, moist), silty clay loam structureless, moderately coherent porous massive parting to weak to moderate medium platy, friable, common very fine tubular pores, continuous platy non-cemented plough pan pans, gradual smooth boundary to,
Ah 22-35 cm	very dark brown (7.5YR 2/2, moist), silty clay loam structureless, weakly coherent porous massive parting to weak to moderate fine and medium subangular and angular blocky, very friable, many micro to very coarse tubular pores, abrupt wavy boundary to,
Ahk 35-80 cm	(7.5YR 3/3, moist), silty clay loam structureless, weakly coherent porous massive parting to weak to moderate fine and medium subangular and angular blocky, very friable, many coarse prominent clear mottles (7.5YR 4/4) and common fine prominent mottles (10N 8/0), many micro to very coarse tubular pores, frequent krotovinas and worm channels, gradual smooth boundary to,
Ck 80-175 cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/4, moist), silty clay loam structureless, weakly coherent, very friable, many coarse prominent clear mottles (7.5YR 3/3) and common fine prominent mottles (10N 8/0), many micro to very coarse tubular pores, frequent krotovinas and worm channels, gradual irregular boundary to,
cm	yellowish brown (10YR 5/6, moist), silty clay loam,

The main parent rock/ material over which the soil has been formed (1st entry)	sediment, unconsolidated
Mode of Accumulation or deposition of parent material (1st entry)	eolian loess
Texture of parent material (1st entry)	loamy
Soil Depth	150cm

Soil erosion type (1st entry)	wind
Intensity of the soil erosion type (1st entry)	slight
Slope Stability	stable

Current land use at the site	low level arable farming
Major crops	maize
Main type of irrigation	no irrigation
Rotation scheme	monoculture
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	Vegetation: see additional remarks

The altitude of the soil profile relative to mean sea level, specified in meters	150 m asl
Regional landform	plain
Topography of the surrounding country	flat or almost flat
Physiographic Unit in the immediate surrounding of the site	plain, locally sl. undulating
The slope refers to the inclination of the land immediately surrounding the site. The measured or estimated slope angle is specified to the nearest per cent	5 %
The physiographic position of the site where the profile is located	upper slope
Form of the slope surrounding the site	convex

Kind of groundwater table	no groundwater table observed
Flooding frequency	never
Estimated permeablity (class) of least permeable part of the profile	high
Drainage Class	well
Moist From - To	0-150cm

Microrelief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site	level
Rockiness	none
Stoniness	none
Cracks	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost	no surface slaking/crusting observed
Evidence of salt	non-saline
Evidence of alkali	non-alkaline

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Reference soil China 39: Chernozem

Characteristics

Reference soil CN039: Chernozem