Reference soil Zimbabwe 09: Ferralsol

ZW009

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 ZW009: Ferralsols

Ferralsol

Classification

WRB 2006

Acric-Vetic- Ferralsol (Dystric)

33-204 cm

ferralic horizon

33-204 cm

ferralic horizon

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Acri-Haplic Ferralsol

Orthic Ferralsol

0-44 cm	ochric A horizon
110-172 cm	ferralic B horizon
44-110 cm	cambic B horizon
-	weatherable minerals

0-44 cm	ochric A horizon
44-204 cm	oxic B horizon
-	weatherable minerals

Land use

Major crops	crops (unspecified)
Land improvements ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	land clearing
Main type of irrigation; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	no irrigation
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	agro-forestry
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	LAND USE: Land cleared for agroforestry trials. VEGETATION: Occasional small Dicrostacys cinera and Eriosema englerianum bushes. Weeds: Acanthospermum australe, Spermacoce subvulgata, Tagates minuta, Vernonia glabra and Waltheria indica. Grasses: Cynodon dactylon, Eragrostis patens, Heteropogon contortus, Hyparrhenia filipendula, pogonarthria squarrosa and Sprobolus pyramidalis
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	crop rotation scheme not relevant
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)	semi-deciduous shrub

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
0-33	0	1.8	13.1	29.5	20.5	5.8	70.7	5.3	1.8	7.1	22.2
33-44	0	2.0	14.6	28.8	18.8	4.7	68.9	4.1	1.3	5.4	25.7
44-69	0	2.1	12.2	20.9	13.2	5.2	53.6	6.6	0.9	7.5	38.8
69-110	0	2.4	12.1	20.9	14.6	4.9	54.9	5.3	2.9	8.2	36.8
110-139	0	2.1	12.4	21.2	14.7	5.3	55.7	7.2	0.2	7.4	37.0
139-172	0	2.7	10.9	17.4	13.6	5.1	49.7	6.0	1.8	7.8	42.5
172-204	1	2.6	9.5	15.3	13.3	6.6	47.3	6.8	3.5	10.3	42.3

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-33	-	-	-	11.9	22.2
33-44	-	-	-	18.1	25.7
44-69	-	-	-	2.3	38.8
69-110	-	-	-	0.0	36.8
110-139	-	-	-	0.0	37.0
139-172	-	-	-	0.0	42.5
172-204	-	-	-	0.0	42.3

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
0-33	5.4	4.4	0.04	-	0.78	0.01	78	0.3	0.0	1.0	0.3	0.2	0.2	1.7
33-44	5.1	4.3	0.04	-	0.43	0.01	43	0.5	0.2	0.4	0.3	0.1	0.0	0.8
44-69	5.2	5.0	0.04	-	0.14	0.00	-	0.2	0.0	0.8	0.7	0.1	0.3	1.9
69-110	4.8	4.3	0.02	-	0.07	0.00	-	0.6	0.2	0.0	0.3	0.1	0.3	0.7
110-139	4.9	4.5	0.02	-	0.07	0.00	-	0.4	0.2	0.4	0.3	0.1	0.0	0.8
139-172	5.0	4.6	0.02	-	0.12	0.00	-	0.3	0.0	0.4	0.3	0.1	0.4	1.2
172-204	5.2	4.7	0.01	-	0.08	0.01	8	0.2	0.0	0.6	0.3	0.1	0.0	1

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 %
0-33	39	4.4	20	2.7	-	0	5
33-44	31	2.6	10	1.5	-	8	0
44-69	73	2.6	7	0.5	-	0	12
69-110	28	2.5	7	0.2	-	8	12
110-139	31	2.6	7	0.2	-	8	0
139-172	48	2.5	6	0.4	-	0	16
172-204	36	2.8	7	0.3	-	0	0

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-33	-	-	-	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	very weak to weak	-	-	-	-
33-44	-	-	-	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	very weak	-	-	-	-
44-69	-	-	-	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	very weak	-	-	-	-
69-110	-	-	-	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	very weak	-	-	-	-
110-139	-	-	-	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	very weak	-	-	-	-
139-172	-	-	-	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	very weak	-	-	-	-
172-204	-	-	-	very weak to weak	-	-	very strong	very weak	-	-	-	-

Profile description

Ah 0-33 cm	(dark) brown (7.5YR 4/4, dry) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4, moist)medium sandy loam,weakly medium crumb and weak medium subangular blocky,slightly hard non sticky non plastic,no cutans,few very fine interstitial random pores and tubular random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),many fine roots,no inclusions,no fragments,no,non calcareous,clear irregular boundary to,
33-44 cm	(dark) brown (7.5YR 4/4, dry) dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4, moist)medium sandy loam,moderately coherent massive,slightly hard non sticky non plastic,no cutans,few very fine interstitial random pores and tubular random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),common very fine roots,no inclusions,no fragments,no,non calcareous,clear wavy boundary to,
Bo1 44-69 cm	yellowish red (5YR 5/6, dry) yellowish red (5YR 4/6, moist)sandy clay loam,moderately coherent massive,slightly hard non sticky non plastic,no cutans,common very fine interstitial random pores and tubular random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few very fine roots,few medium spherical hard manganiferous concretions,no fragments,frequent termite channels,non calcareous,clear smooth boundary to,
Bo2 69-110 cm	yellowish red (5YR 5/6, dry) red (2.5YR 4/6, moist)sandy clay loam,weakly coherent massive,soft non sticky non plastic,no cutans,many very fine interstitial random pores and tubular random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few very fine roots,medium spherical hard manganiferous concretions,no fragments,few termite channels and channels,non calcareous,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bo3 110-139 cm	yellowish red (5YR 5/6, dry) red (2.5YR 4/6, moist)sandy clay loam,weakly coherent massive,soft non sticky non plastic,no cutans,many very fine interstitial random pores and tubular random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few very fine roots,few medium spherical hard manganiferous concretions,no fragments,frequent termite channels,non calcareous,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bo4 139-172 cm	yellowish red (5YR 5/6, dry) red (2.5YR 4/6, moist)sandy clay loam,weakly coherent massive,slightly hard non sticky non plastic,no cutans,common very fine interstitial random pores and tubular random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few very fine roots,frequent medium spherical hard manganiferous concretions,no fragments,few termite channels,non calcareous,diffuse smooth boundary to,
Bo5 172-204 cm	yellowish red (5YR 5/6, dry) red (2.5YR 4/6, moist)sandy clay loam,weakly coherent massive,slightly hard non sticky non plastic,no cutans,common very fine interstitial random pores and tubular random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),few very fine roots,frequent medium spherical hard manganiferous concretions,no fragments,few termite channels,non calcareous,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	acidic gneiss
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	residual material
Remarks on Parent Materials	granodiorite gneiss
Soil Depth	204cm
Texture of parent material	sandy
Weathering Resistance	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately

Occurrence of soil aggradation (McDonald et al., 1984)	not apparent
Intensity of the soil erosion type	slight
Soil erosion type	sheet

Altitude	1530m
Physiographic Unit	saddle between two bornhardts
Physiographic position of the site	middle slope
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	plateau
Slope	4%
Slope Aspect	east
Form of the slope surrounding the site	concave
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-204cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	high
Estimated run off (class)	rapid

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
Micro relief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site (FAO, 1986)	level
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 Zimbabwe 09: Ferralsol

Characteristics

Reference soil ZW009: Ferralsols

Classification