Reference soil Cuba 03: Ferralsol

CU003

Ferralsols occur in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, mainly on old and stable land surfaces.

Characteristics

Soils having a ferralic horizon (strongly weathered horizon with low-activity clays and very low amounts of weatherable minerals) between 25 and 200 cm from the soil surface. They lack a nitic horizon (a horizon with strongly developed, nut-shaped structure) and do not have a layer which fulfils the requirements of an argic horizon and which has, in the upper 30 cm, 10 percent or more water-dispersible clay.

Distribution of Ferralsols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil CU003: Ferralsols

Short field description: Very deep, well drained, strong brown clay. Weak subangular blocky to porous massive structure. Third and fourth horizons somewhat tongued. The third horizon is variegated.Hard limestone from about 5 meter. Geology: Neogene Era, lower Miocene. Jaruco Formation: marl and clayey limestone. Geomorphology: marine plain, abrasive and denudative abrasive. First ratoon, Variety: C1616, Yield: 75 ton/ha.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Haplic- Ferralsol (Manganiferric Hypereutric Clayic)

Hypereutri-Ferric- Ferralsol (Xanthic)

24-250 cm	ferralic horizon
50-115 cm	ferric horizon

0-24 cm	ochric horizon
24-250 cm	ferralic horizon
50-115 cm	ferric horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Chromi-Ferralic Cambisol

Ferralic Cambisol

0-24 cm	ochric A horizon
24-250 cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	cambic B horizon
- cm	ochric A horizon
-	ferralic

0-24 cm	ochric A horizon
24-250 cm	cambic B horizon
-	ferralic

Local classification:	Ferralitico amarillento

Other classification

USDA-SCS (1975)

Ustropept ustic clayey kaolinitic isothermic

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
0-24	-	7.4	6.7	4.1	4.7	4.3	27.2	7.3	21.6	28.9	43.8
24-50	-	6.7	6.4	3.3	3.4	3.3	23.1	5.8	14.1	19.9	46.8
50-80	-	9.4	7.0	3.2	3.3	3.2	26.1	13.0	6.5	19.5	54.5
80-115	-	9.4	7.6	3.6	3.6	3.6	27.8	6.6	15.6	22.2	49.8
115-160	-	9.2	7.3	3.7	3.7	3.7	27.6	6.7	15.2	21.9	50.5
160-190	-	8.7	6.9	3.8	4.1	4.0	27.5	7.7	12.4	20.1	52.5

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-24	-	-	-	32.1	43.8
24-50	-	-	-	26.6	46.8
50-80	-	-	-	2.9	54.5
80-115	-	-	-	5.4	49.8
115-160	-	-	-	5.9	50.5
160-190	-	-	-	0.0	52.5

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
0-24	6.6	5.7	0.14	1.5	1.98	0.20	10	-	-	11.0	1.5	0.3	0.3	13.1
24-50	6.2	5.4	0.09	-	0.86	0.10	9	-	-	6.8	1.5	0.1	0.1	8.5
50-80	6.4	5.8	0.02	-	0.39	-	-	-	-	6.6	1.6	0.0	0.0	8.2
80-115	6.5	5.7	0.01	0.9	0.38	-	-	-	-	6.2	1.9	0.1	0.3	8.5
115-160	6.3	5.6	0.01	-	0.25	-	-	-	-	5.0	2.9	0.0	0.2	8.1
160-190	5.4	4.8	0.02	-	0.09	-	-	-	-	3.0	4.0	0.1	0.2	7.3

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 %
0-24	103	12.7	14	6.9	-	-	2
24-50	90	9.4	14	3.0	-	-	1
50-80	92	8.9	14	1.4	-	-	0
80-115	96	8.9	15	1.3	-	-	3
115-160	91	8.9	16	0.9	-	-	2
160-190	84	8.7	16	0.3	-	-	2

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
0-24	-	-	-	0.56	0.05	6.41	1.08	-	-	-	0.69
24-50	-	-	-	0.30	0.03	6.81	0.98	-	-	-	0.40
50-80	-	-	-	0.26	0.03	6.63	0.83	-	-	-	0.36
80-115	-	-	-	0.26	0.03	8.17	0.96	-	-	-	0.44
115-160	-	-	-	0.23	0.03	5.70	0.74	-	-	-	0.40
160-190	-	-	-	0.26	0.03	5.81	0.75	-	-	-	0.36

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-24	-	-	-	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	weak	-
24-50	-	-	-	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	weak	-
50-80	-	-	-	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	weak	-
80-115	-	-	-	weak	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	weak	-
115-160	-	-	-	weak	-	-	strong	-	-	-	weak	-
160-190	-	-	-	weak	-	-	strong	-	-	-	weak	-

Profile description

Ap 0-24 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist)clay,weak coarse subangular blocky parting to moderate fine crumb,sticky slightly plastic,no cutans,many fine pores and many pores highly porous (>60 vol%),no inclusions,no fragments,frequent channels,clear smooth boundary to,
Bw 24-50 cm	(dark) brown (7.5YR 4/4, moist)sandy clay,weak medium subangular blocky,friable slightly sticky slightly plastic,no cutans,many very fine fine pores,no inclusions,no fragments,frequent channels,diffuse wavy boundary to,
Bg1 50-115 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 4/6, moist)clay,moderately coherent porous massive,firm slightly sticky subangular blocky,many medium distinct clear mottles (10YR 4/6),no cutans,many very fine fine pores,frequent medium spherical soft manganiferous concretions,no fragments,few channels,diffuse wavy boundary to,
Bg2 115-250 cm	light grey (10YR 7/2, moist)clay gravelly,moderately coherent porous massive,firm,many medium prominent clear mottles (10YR 4/6),no cutans,many very fine pores and few pores,very frequent medium irregular hard manganiferous concretions,no fragments,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	limestone
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	marine sediments
Remarks on Parent Materials	Lower Miocene, Jaruco Formation
Soil Depth	150cm
Texture of parent material	clayey
Texture of parent material (second entry)	clayey

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	absent
Slope stability	stable

Major crops	sugar cane
Main type of irrigation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	seasonally irrigated
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	high level arable farming
Status of vegetation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	degraded
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	dwarf shrub

Altitude	100m
Physiographic Unit	flat or almost flat
Physiographic position of the site	flat
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plain
Slope	0%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-25cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	25-300cm
Estimated run off (class)	slow

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	no surface slaking/crusting observed
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 Cuba 03: Ferralsol

Characteristics

Reference soil CU003: Ferralsols

Classification