Reference soil Ghana 08: Lixisol

GH008

Lixisols occur dominantly in the drier parts of the tropics and subtropics. Their high base status is partly due to less leaching, partly to admixture from airborne dust from adjacent desert regions.

Characteristics

Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with a distinct higher clay content than the overlying horizon), which has a cation exchange capacity of less than 24 cmolc per kg in some part, either starting within either:

100 cm from the soil surface, or
200 cm from the soil surface if the argic horizon is overlain by loamy sand or coarser textures throughout.

They have a base saturation (total amount of Ca, Mg, K and Na with respect to the cation exchange capacity) of 50 percent or more in the major part between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface.

Distribution of Lixisols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil GH008: Lixisol

WRB 2014

Luvi-Acri-Ali Lixisol

Local classification

Classification information	NZIMA series

Location:

Kumasi metropolitan, CSIRSRI station

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Physical characteristics

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-11	1.3	-	-	-	-
11-30	1.34	-	-	-	-
30-60	1.51	-	-	-	-
110-146	1.34	-	-	-	-

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
0-11	1.3	-	-	0.46	0.4	-	-	-	0.16
11-30	1.34	-	-	0.43	0.39	-	-	-	0.19
30-60	1.51	-	-	0.35	0.32	-	-	-	0.18
110-146	1.34	-	-	0.52	0.5	-	-	-	0.35

Profile description

Ap 0-11 cm	very dark greyish brown(10YR 3/2, moist) dark brown(10YR 3/3, dry); silty clay loam moderate subangular blocky moderate medium crumbly ; slightly hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic ; dominant faint humus cutans; none (0%) mottles; very high (> 40%) pores; none coarse common fine none very fine many very fine roots; none ; few (2-5%) fresh or slightly weathered medium artefacts (6-20 mm) ; many ; clear (2-5 cm) smooth; nearly plane surface boundary to
Bt 11-30 cm	strong brown(7.5YR 4/6, moist) strong brown(7.5YR 5/6, dry); sandy clay moderate medium subangular and angular blocky moderate fine/thin subangular and angular blocky ; slightly hard friable slightly sticky to sticky slightly plastic to plastic ; common cutans; common (5-15%) faint (dark) brown fine (2-6 mm) mottles; very high (> 40%) pores; none coarse few fine none very fine common very fine roots; none ; few (2-5%) fresh or slightly weathered medium artefacts (6-20 mm) ; common ; clear (2-5 cm) wavy; pockets less deep than wide boundary to
2Btdb 30-60 cm	yellowish red(5YR 4/6, moist) yellowish red(5YR 4/6, dry); clay weak to moderate medium angular blocky moderate to strong fine/thin granular ; slightly hard friable slightly sticky to sticky slightly plastic to plastic ; many faint clay cutans; none (0%) mottles; high (15-40%) pores; none coarse very few fine none very fine few very fine roots; common fine (2–6 mm) hard ; abundant (40-80%) fresh or slightly weathered coarse artefacts (> 20 mm) ; few ; clear (2-5 cm) smooth; nearly plane surface boundary to
2Btdb2 60-76 cm	red(2.5YR 4/6, moist) yellowish red(5YR 4/6, dry); clay moderate medium angular blocky moderate fine/thin ; slightly hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic ; many faint clay cutans; none (0%) mottles; high (15-40%) pores; none coarse none fine none very fine very few very fine roots; few fine (2–6 mm) hard ; abundant (40-80%) fresh or slightly weathered medium artefacts (6-20 mm) ; few ; gradual (5-15 cm) smooth; nearly plane surface boundary to
3BtbC 76-110 cm	red(2.5YR 4/6, moist) red(2.5YR 4/6, dry); clay moderate medium angular blocky moderate fine/thin subangular blocky ; slightly hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic ; many faint clay cutans; many (15-40%) distinct fine (2-6 mm) mottles; medium (5-15%) pores; none coarse none fine none very fine very few very fine roots; fine (2–6 mm) ; few (2-5%) fresh or slightly weathered fine artefacts (2-6 mm) ; few ; gradual (5-15 cm) wavy; pockets less deep than wide boundary to
3B(t)bC2 110-146 cm	red(2.5YR 4/6, moist) yellowish red(5YR 4/6, dry); clay weak medium angular blocky weak fine/thin subangular blocky ; slightly hard friable slightly sticky slightly plastic ; many faint clay cutans; common (5-15%) coarse (> 20 mm) mottles; medium (5-15%) pores; none coarse none fine none very fine none very fine roots; none ; none (0%) ; channels pans; few burrows (unspecified) ; diffuse (> 15 cm) wavy; pockets less deep than wide boundary to
3(Bb)C 146-177 cm	pale red(10R 6/2, moist) brownish yellow(10YR 6/8, dry); silty clay rock structure ; slightly hard very friable non-sticky non-plastic ; few faint clay cutans; common (5-15%) red coarse (> 20 mm) mottles; very low (< 2%) pores; none coarse none fine none very fine none very fine roots; very few fine (2–6 mm) soft ; none (0%) ; few ;

Age of the land Surface	holocene (100–10 000 years) natural: with loss by erosion or deposition of materials such as on tidal flats, of coastal dunes, in river valleys, landslides or desert areas.
Soil Depth	177cm

Intensity of the soil erosion type	moderate
Soil erosion type	gully erosion
Classification of total area affected by erosion and deposition	10%-25%

Major crops	maize (cereal)
Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	application of fertilizers
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	rainfed arable cultivation
Major vegetation type; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	semi-deciduous forest

Altitude	272m
Hierarchy of major landforms	dissected plain
Physiographic Unit	middle slope (back slope) in undulating to mountainous terrain
Slope	06%
Form of the slope surrounding the site	convex
Slope gradient %	7.0%
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	strongly sloping

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	moderately well drained
Flooding	none
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	none
Depth to groundwater table	> 180cm
Drainage class - intergrade; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well drained

Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	many (15-40%)
Average size of stone	medium gravel (0.6-2.0 cm)
Classification of surface cracks - depth	surface (< 2 cm)
Classification of surface cracks - distance between cracks	very closely spaced (< 0.2 m)
Surface cracking	fine (< 1 cm)
Classification of salt characteristics - cover	none (0-2%)
Classification of salt characteristics - thickness	none

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Reference soil Ghana 08: Lixisol

Characteristics

Reference soil GH008: Lixisol