Reference soil Nicaragua 11: Andosol

NI011

Andosols occur throughout the world where volcanic activity is common, especially in the circum-Pacific region and along the mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Characteristics

Soils with a vitric or andic horizon (slightly to moderately weathered horizons in pyroclastic deposits dominated by short-range-order minerals, notably allophane and imogolite) starting within 25 cm from the soil surface. In addition, they may have a histic, fulvic, melanic, mollic, umbric, ochric, duric, or cambic horizon. Other diagnostic horizons (unless buried deeper than 50 cm by volcanic deposits) are absent.

Distribution of Andosols (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil NI011: Andosols

Deep, (moderately) well drained, dark brown to dark reddish brown loam soil developed from unconsolidated materials, derived from igneous and sedimentary rocks as well as volcanic ejecta. The soil contains fresh talpetate fragments, is strongly to moderately structured, moderately permeable and highly porous. The strongly cemented layer at a depth of 42 cm, called "talpetate" (Bm horizon) is in this part of Nicaragua probably of geogenetic and pedogenetic origin. The talpetate at shallow depth affects the rooting conditions, the nutrients and moisture availability and the potential for mechanization of the soil. The profile forms part of a toposequence (El Crucero- Montelimar) of soils with "talpetate", studied by the Department of Soil Science of the Nicaraguan Agricultural University.

Classification

WRB 2006

WRB 1998

Petroduric-Mollic-Vitric- Andosol (Calcaric)

Molli-Vitric- Andosol (Petroduric Calcaric)

0-42 cm	mollic horizon
42-51 cm	petroduric horizon
-	calcaric
-	vitric

0-42 cm	mollic horizon
0-42 cm	vitric horizon
51-150 cm	vitric horizon
-	calcaric

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Orthi-Haplic Phaeozem duripan

Haplic Phaeozem duripan

0-42 cm	mollic A horizon
- cm	mollic A horizon
-	smeary consistence

0-42 cm	mollic A horizon
- cm	duripan horizon
-	thixotropy

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Entic Durustoll
USDA-SCS (1975)	Entic Durustoll ustic fine-loamy halloysitic isohyperthermic

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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
0-42	-	1.4	2.8	6.0	12.5	8.1	30.8	10.7	32.1	42.8	26.5
42-51	-	14.4	16.8	10.3	9.3	6.3	57.1	11.9	24.1	36.0	7.0
51-92	-	0.9	2.0	4.4	13.7	7.2	28.2	11.8	36.2	48.0	23.8
92-120	-	0.2	0.7	2.4	9.5	8.5	21.3	14.5	36.1	50.6	28.1
120-150	-	2.2	3.8	5.6	11.7	5.2	28.5	13.8	34.5	48.3	23.2

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-42	1.022	-	-	10.9	26.5
42-51	-	-	-	5.2	7.0
51-92	0.849	-	-	14.6	23.8
92-120	1.064	-	-	21.9	28.1
120-150	1.167	-	-	18.3	23.2

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
0-42	1.022	60.9	59.5	55.4	47.7	45.7	40.7	33.3	24.9
51-92	0.849	63.0	59.9	53.2	45.3	43.5	39.2	31.1	24.1
92-120	1.064	58.1	55.8	50.2	45.3	44.5	41.8	38.8	34.4
120-150	1.167	55.1	53.9	51.6	48.9	48.6	46.6	44.0	38.3

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
0-42	7.7	6.5	0.13	2.0	2.73	0.25	11	-	-	10.8	2.1	9.6	0.1	22.6
42-51	7.1	6.2	0.16	2.1	0.23	0.03	8	-	-	30.9	5.1	1.5	0.6	38.1
51-92	7.6	6.3	0.11	2.1	0.85	0.13	7	-	-	8.8	1.7	0.9	0.2	11.6
92-120	7.6	5.9	0.12	1.9	0.33	0.06	6	-	-	12.1	3.8	1.2	0.2	17.3
120-150	7.5	5.8	0.11	1.8	0.41	0.06	7	-	-	8.9	2.9	0.6	0.1	12.5

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 %
0-42	149	15.2	57	9.6	-	-	1
42-51	102	37.5	536	0.8	-	-	2
51-92	98	11.8	50	3.0	-	-	2
92-120	94	18.4	65	1.2	-	-	1
120-150	93	13.4	58	1.4	-	-	1

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
0-42	9.3	46	-	0.70	0.46	5.20	0.60	-	-	-	1.56
42-51	10.1	96	-	3.83	2.96	6.30	1.40	-	-	-	4.02
51-92	9.6	67	-	0.84	0.64	6.30	0.80	-	-	-	2.21
92-120	9.5	47	-	0.36	0.31	4.20	0.30	-	-	-	1.24
120-150	9.6	48	-	0.49	0.40	4.20	0.40	-	-	-	1.27

Depth (cm)	CaSO4.2H2O %	P Bray mg/kg	P Olsen mg/kg	pH CaCl2	clay_noncarbonate % w/w	clay_carbonate % w/w	phosphorus4 mg/kg	phosphorus1 mg/kg	total_sulfur % w/w
0-42	-	-	31.1	-	-	-	-	-	-
51-92	-	-	4.3	-	-	-	-	-	-
92-120	-	-	0.8	-	-	-	-	-	-
120-150	-	-	2.6	-	-	-	-	-	-

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-42	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
42-51	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
51-92	-	-	-	-	medium to strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
92-120	-	-	-	-	strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
120-150	-	-	-	-	strong	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Profile description

Ap 0-42 cm	dark brown (7.5YR 3/2, moist)loam,strong medium granular,firm,common fine continuous exped tubular random pores and common continuous exped tubular random pores moderately porous (40-60 vol%),frequent fine gravel fresh "talpetate" fragments,frequent worm channels,abrupt smooth boundary to,
Bm 42-51 cm	strong brown (7.5YR 5/6, moist)discontinuous platy strongly cemented duripan pans,abrupt smooth boundary to,
51-92 cm	dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4, moist)loam,moderate medium subangular blocky,very friable,many micro to very coarse continuous exped and inped tubular random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),very few medium gravel fresh "talpetate" fragments,frequent worm channels,gradual smooth boundary to,
C 92-120 cm	dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4, moist)clay loam,moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky to moderate medium and coarse prismatic,very friable,many micro to very coarse continuous exped and inped tubular random pores highly porous (>60 vol%),dominant fine gravel fresh "talpetate" fragments,frequent worm channels,clear smooth boundary to,
2C 120- cm	strong brown (7.5YR 4/6, moist)loam,moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky,friable,few very fine continuous inped tubular random pores slightly porous (<40 vol%),

Depth1	120cm
Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	igneous and sedimentary rock
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	unconsolidated, unspecified
Remarks on Parent Materials	Remarks on parent material
Soil Depth	120cm
Texture of parent material	silty
Texture of parent material (second entry)	mixed
Weathering Resistance	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately

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	medium level arable farming
Remarks on Land Use / Vegetation	LANDUSE: In the past used for fruit trees
Rotation scheme ; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	monoculture

Altitude	50m
Physiographic Unit	Pacific Coastal Plain
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%
Slope Aspect	east
Form of the slope surrounding the site	straight
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	flat or almost flat

Lower limit of a slow permeable or stagnating layer in the profile	51cm
Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	moderately well
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Kind of ground water table (USDA, 1979)	no groundwater table observed
Moist From - To	0-120cm
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	slow
Estimated run off (class)	ponded
Drainage class - intergrade; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Upper limit of a slow permeable or stagnating layer in the profile	42cm

Evidence of alkali ; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-alkaline
Average size of stone	3
Surface cracking	no cracks observed
Slaking of aggregates by tillage, rainfall or frost (USDA/SCS, 1979)	no surface slaking/crusting observed
Microrelief Height: variation in height	20
Micro relief type: small-scale differences in relief in the direct vicinity of the site (FAO, 1986)	ripples
Microrelief pattern	linear
Rock outcrop class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	fairly rocky
Evidence of salt; Soil Survey Manual USDA, 1951	non-saline
Shape of stones (on average)	angular irregular
Surface stoniness class (FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description)	none

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Reference soil Nicaragua 11: Andosol

Characteristics

Reference soil NI011: Andosols

Classification