Reference soil United States of America 20: Kastanozem

US020

Kastanozems occur mainly in the dry parts of the steppe regions of the world. Vast areas are found in central Asia and central USA. Smaller occurrences are reported from the Mediterranean region.

Characteristics

Soils having a mollic horizon (deep, dark coloured surface horizon with a significant accumulation of organic matter and high base saturation) and accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate within 100 cm from the soil surface. They have no diagnostic horizons other than an argic, calcic, cambic, gypsic, or vertic horizon.

Distribution of Kastanozems (rough estimation supplied by soilgrids)

Reference soil US020: Kastanozems

Classification

WRB 1998

Luvi-calcic horizon- Kastanozem

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1988

FAO-UNESCO-ISRIC 1974

Luvi-Calcic Kastanozem

Calcic Kastanozem

Local classification:	Scobey clay loam

Other classification

USDA-NRCS (1999)	Alfic Calciustoll
USDA-SCS (1975)	Alfic Argiboroll ustic fine montmorillonitic

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
0-5	3	0.8	1.7	5.1	14.3	12.7	34.6	12.3	20.8	33.1	32.3
5-15	5	0.7	1.4	4.6	12.6	14.2	33.5	13.2	20.1	33.3	33.3
15-31	0	0.3	0.7	2.3	6.4	7.8	17.5	16.7	20.8	37.5	45.1
31-46	2	1.3	1.7	4.1	8.5	17	32.6	17.8	20.3	38.1	29.4
46-65	4	0.8	1.5	6	14.7	8.6	31.6	10.3	22.5	32.8	35.6
65-95	2	0.3	0.8	3.2	7.6	7.3	19.2	12	28.3	40.3	40.6
95-130	13	0.3	0.9	3.3	10.3	7	21.8	10.4	28	38.4	39.8
130-160	2	0.6	1	2.2	5.8	7.3	16.9	12.6	31	43.6	39.5

Water retention characteristics

Depth (cm)	Bulk density kg/dm³	Spec. Surf. Area m²/g	COLE cm/cm	Water disp. clay %	Clay % w/w
0-5	-	-	-	-	32.3
5-15	-	-	-	-	33.3
15-31	-	-	-	-	45.1
31-46	-	-	-	-	29.4
46-65	-	-	-	-	35.6
65-95	-	-	-	-	40.6
95-130	-	-	-	-	39.8
130-160	-	-	-	-	39.5

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
0-5	7.0	6.1	0.56	0.7	1.33	0.17	8	-	-	15.0	4.5	1.7	0.0	21.2
5-15	6.8	6.1	0.44	0.9	1.47	0.16	9	-	-	15.7	4.7	1.3	0.0	21.7
15-31	7.2	6.1	0.24	1.8	1.03	0.14	7	-	-	21.8	5.5	1.2	0.0	28.5
31-46	8.1	7.5	0.19	17.6	1.04	0.12	9	-	-	52.1	4.5	0.3	0.0	56.9
46-65	8.4	7.6	0.16	13.5	0.84	0.10	8	-	-	43.1	7.9	0.2	0.1	51.3
65-95	8.7	7.8	0.6	10.5	0.59	0.08	7	-	-	33.5	15.6	0.2	0.1	49.4
95-130	8.6	7.9	0.24	8.6	0.42	0.07	6	-	-	36.4	15.6	0.3	0.2	52.5
130-160	8.0	7.6	2.4	5.5	0.34	0.70	0	-	-	105.6	13.2	0.3	0.4	119.5

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 %
0-5	105	20.2	63	4.7	-	-	0
5-15	107	20.2	61	5.1	-	-	0
15-31	104	27.4	61	3.6	-	-	0
31-46	331	17.2	59	3.6	-	-	0
46-65	300	17.1	48	2.9	-	-	1
65-95	268	18.4	45	2.1	-	-	1
95-130	281	18.7	47	1.5	-	-	1
130-160	657	18.2	46	1.2	-	-	2

Clay mineralogy

Depth (cm)	Chlorite	Feldspar	Gibbsite	Goethite	Halloysite	Hematite	Kaolinite	Mica / illite	Mixed-layer	Quartz	Smec	Vermiculite
0-5	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	medium to strong	-	weak to medium	medium to strong	-
15-31	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak	weak to medium	-	weak to medium	medium to strong	-
46-65	-	-	-	-	-	-	weak to medium	weak to medium	-	weak to medium	strong	-

Profile description

Ap1 0-5 cm	greyish brown (10YR 5/2, dry) very dark greyish brown (10YR 3/2, moist)clay loam slightly gravelly,moderate fine and medium granular,slightly hard friable sticky plastic,many fine pores,many very fine and fine roots,very few medium and coarse gravel pebbles fragments,clear smooth boundary to,
Ap2 5-15 cm	greyish brown (10YR 5/2, dry) very dark greyish brown (10YR 3/2, moist)clay loam slightly gravelly,moderate medium subangular blocky,slightly hard friable sticky plastic,common fine interstitial pores and few tubular pores,common very fine and fine roots,very few medium and coarse gravel pebbles fragments,abrupt smooth boundary to,
Bt 15-31 cm	brown (10YR 5/3, dry) dark brown (10YR 3/3, moist)clay loam slightly gravelly,moderate medium prismatic parting to strong medium subangular blocky,slightly hard friable sticky plastic,continuous moderately thick clay on pedfaces cutans,common fine tubular pores,common very fine and fine roots,very few medium and coarse gravel pebbles fragments,gradual wavy boundary to,
Bk1 31-46 cm	light grey (10YR 7/2, dry) (dark) brown (10YR 4/3, moist)clay loam,moderate medium prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky,slightly hard friable sticky plastic,patchy thin clay on pedfaces cutans,common fine tubular pores,common very fine roots,few irregular soft calcareous soft segregations small,strongly calcareous 10% HCl,diffuse wavy boundary to,
Bk2 46-65 cm	light grey (2.5Y 7/2, dry) brown (10YR 5/3, moist)clay loam,moderate medium and coarse prismatic parting to moderate medium subangular blocky,hard friable sticky plastic,many fine tubular pores,common very fine roots,frequent irregular soft calcareous soft segregations medium,strongly calcareous 10% HCl,gradual wavy boundary to,
Bk3 65-95 cm	light brownish grey (10YR 6/2, dry) dark greyish brown (2.5Y 4/2, moist)clay loam gravelly,moderate coarse prismatic parting to strong medium subangular blocky,very hard firm sticky very plastic,common fine tubular pores,few very fine roots,very frequent irregular soft calcareous soft segregations large,common medium and coarse gravel pebbles fragments,strongly calcareous 10% HCl,gradual wavy boundary to,
95-130 cm	light brownish grey (10YR 6/2, dry) very dark greyish brown (10YR 3/2, moist)clay slightly gravelly,moderate coarse prismatic,very hard firm very sticky very plastic,few fine vesicular pores,few very fine roots,few medium and coarse gravel pebbles fragments,slightly calcareous 10% HCl,gradual wavy boundary to,
Cy 130-160 cm	greyish brown (2.5Y 5/2, dry) dark greyish brown (2.5Y 4/2, moist)clay slightly gravelly,weak coarse prismatic,very hard firm very sticky very plastic,frequent thread-like soft gypsiferous soft segregations powdery,slightly calcareous 10% HCl,

Kind 1 (parent material) ; Parker (eds), 1984	mixed lithology and composition
Mode of accumulation or deposition of parent material	glacial till
Remarks on Parent Materials	glacial till
Texture of parent material (second entry)	loamy
Weathering Resistance	moderate
General characterization of the status of weathering of solid rock	partially or moderately

Major crops	cereals (unspecified)
Land use or vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the site	arable farming

Altitude	1330m
Physiographic Unit	glaciated upland
Regional landform; McDonald, R.C., Isbell, R.F. et all, 1984; Australian soil and land survey Field Handbook, Inkata Press, Melbourne.	glacial plain
Slope	1%
Slope Aspect	north-west
Topography; Guidelines for soil description - Fourth edition (FAO, Rome, 2006)	undulating

Drainage class ; FAO (2006) - Guidelines for soil description	well
Dry From - To	0-160cm
Flooding frequency (FAO, 1986)	never
Estimated permeability (class) of least permeable part of the profile	slow
Estimated run off (class)	medium

You are here

Reference soil United States of America 20: Kastanozem

Characteristics

Reference soil US020: Kastanozems

Classification