Soil Survey of Lincoln County, West Virginia - Soil Data Mart - US ...

Soil Survey of Lincoln County, West Virginia
on the use and the point at which the soil feature is not a limitation. The limitations
appear in order from the most limiting to the least limiting. Thus, if more than one
limitation is identified, the most severe limitation is listed first and the least severe one
is listed last.
Crops and Pasture
General management needed for crops and pasture is suggested in this section.
The estimated yields of the main crops and pasture plants are listed, the system of
land capability classification used by the Natural Resources Conservation Service is
explained, and prime farmland is described.
Planners of management systems for individual fields or farms should consider the
detailed information given in the description of each soil under the heading “Detailed
Soil Map Units.” Specific information can be obtained from the local office of the
Natural Resources Conservation Service or the Cooperative Extension Service.
Some general principles of management apply to all of the soils in the county
suitable for crops and pasture, although individual soils or groups of soils require
different kinds of management. The main management needs on the cropland and
pasture in the county are measures that help to control erosion; minimize water
pollution caused by runoff containing soil particles, nutrients, organic matter,
pesticides, and herbicides; and maintain and improve soil fertility and tilth. The
general principles of management are described in the following paragraphs.
Runoff and erosion occur mainly while a cultivated crop is growing or soon after it
has been harvested. If cultivated, all of the gently sloping and steeper soils in the
county are subject to erosion. Erosion of the surface layer is damaging because it
reduces the productivity of the soils and can result in sedimentation of streams,
ponds, lakes, and rivers. Soil productivity is reduced as organic matter and plant
nutrients are lost and part of the subsoil is incorporated into the plow layer. Surface
erosion is especially damaging on Upshur and other soils that have a clayey subsoil
or on Gilpin and other soils that are moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) to bedrock.
The pollution caused by erosion reduces the quality of water for municipal and
recreational uses and for livestock, fish, and wildlife. A suitable cropping system that
helps to control erosion is needed on these soils. The main management needs
where such a system is applied are the proper crop rotation, a conservation tillage
system, crop residue management, cover crops and green manure crops, and
applications of lime and fertilizer. Other major erosion-control measures are contour
farming, diversion of runoff, and grassed waterways. The effectiveness of a particular
combination of these measures differs from one soil to another. Different
combinations can be equally effective on the same soil.
Using the soils for pasture is effective in controlling erosion in most areas of the
county. A high level of pasture management, including applications of fertilizer,
controlled grazing, rotation grazing, and careful selection of pasture mixtures, is
needed on some soils to provide enough ground cover to prevent excessive erosion.
Grazing can be controlled by not allowing the plants to be grazed lower than 3 inches,
by rotating livestock from one pasture to another, and by providing rest periods, which
allow for regrowth of the plants. On some soils the pasture species that require the
least renovation are needed to maintain a good ground cover and to provide forage
for grazing.
Most of the soils in the county have a moderate or low natural supply of basic plant
nutrients. As a result, applications of lime and fertilizer are necessary. The amounts to
be applied depend on the type of soil, the cropping history, the type of crop to be
grown, and the level of desired yields and should be determined by the results of soil
tests and analyses. Measures that help to maintain fertility levels include adding farm
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