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Soil Management Handbook - Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

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Greata <strong>Soil</strong> <strong>Management</strong> Group<br />

<strong>Soil</strong> Series: Greata (GT) (GT:bl), McKinley (MK)<br />

<strong>and</strong> Valley Creek (VW)<br />

General Characteristics: These soils have<br />

developed in well drained, gravelly <strong>and</strong> stony,<br />

coarse-textured fluvioglacial overlays which<br />

vary from 30 to 100 cm in thickness. The<br />

surface stoniness varies from nonstony (S0) to<br />

very stony (S3). These soils are underlain by<br />

medium to moderately fine-textured silty <strong>and</strong><br />

clayey glaciolacustrine sediments. Drainage <strong>of</strong><br />

these soils to a specified depth range from rapid<br />

to slow depending on the thickness <strong>of</strong> the<br />

overlay. The topography <strong>of</strong> these soils vary from<br />

gentle (6 to 9%) to very strong slopes (30 to<br />

45%). There are also minor areas with slopes<br />

that are greater than 70%.<br />

Dominant <strong>Soil</strong> Limitations:<br />

• Adverse topography occurs where slopes are<br />

greater than 25%.<br />

• Surface <strong>and</strong> subsurface stoniness varies from<br />

nonstony (S0) to very stony (S3).<br />

• Compact subsoils are present below the s<strong>and</strong>y<br />

<strong>and</strong> gravelly fluvioglacial overlays.<br />

• Very weakly to moderately saline subsoils<br />

occur.<br />

• Increased soil acidification is expected after<br />

several years <strong>of</strong> irrigation <strong>and</strong> fertilizer<br />

additions.<br />

• Organic matter content <strong>of</strong> surface horizons<br />

varies from moderate to very low.<br />

Well Suited Crops: None<br />

Suited Crops: These sites are best suited to the<br />

grassl<strong>and</strong> crop, however, where slopes are less<br />

than 15%, surface textures are gravelly s<strong>and</strong>y<br />

loam to gravelly loamy s<strong>and</strong> in the top 50 cm<br />

over glaciolacustrine deposits, surfaces are<br />

nonstony (S0) to moderately stony (S2), suited<br />

crops are: alfalfa, annual vegetable crops (except<br />

root crop vegetables), blueberries, cereals, corn,<br />

forage crops -drier sites, ginseng, grapes, nursery<br />

<strong>and</strong> Christmas trees, raspberries, strawberries <strong>and</strong><br />

tree fruits. In areas that are less well drained,<br />

forage crops - wetter sites are suited. Slopes that<br />

are 15 to 25%, but have other soil conditions as<br />

listed above, are suited to grapes <strong>and</strong> tree fruits<br />

(except sour cherries, M9 <strong>and</strong> M26 apple<br />

rootstocks on slopes up to 20%) only.<br />

<strong>Management</strong> Inputs:<br />

Stone Removal: Stone removal will be required for<br />

moderately stony soils (S2) when crops other than<br />

tree fruits <strong>and</strong> grapes are grown.<br />

Erosion Control Practices: Crops to be grown on<br />

slopes greater than 9% will require conservation<br />

practices to prevent soil erosion.<br />

Water <strong>Management</strong> System: Where drainage is<br />

required, the suggested drain spacing is 16 to<br />

18 m at a 1.2 m depth.<br />

Unsuited Crops: Asparagus <strong>and</strong> root crop<br />

vegetables on any slopes due to the shallowness<br />

<strong>and</strong> stoniness <strong>of</strong> the surface soil. All crops are<br />

unsuited where slopes are greater than 25%,<br />

except grassl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />

Reasons: <strong>Soil</strong> erosion susceptibility <strong>of</strong> these slopes is<br />

extreme. Machinery has great difficulty<br />

negotiating these slopes <strong>and</strong> excess stoniness<br />

limits cultivation.<br />

16 <strong>Soil</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>H<strong>and</strong>book</strong> – Okanagan-Similkameen Valleys

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