Soil Survey of Murray and Whitfield Counties, Georgia

138 Soil Survey
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
James E. Dean, conservation agronomist, Natural Resources Conservation Service, helped prepare
this section.
General management needed for crops and pasture is suggested in this section.
The estimated yields of the main crops and pasture plants are listed, and the system
of land capability classification used by the Natural Resources Conservation Service is
explained.
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.
The most important management needs on most of the soils used for farming in
Murray and Whitfield Counties are controlling water erosion, removing excess water,
and maintaining good tilth and productivity. Most of the soils in the survey area are
susceptible to erosion. The degree of erosion depends on the erodibility of the soil, the
frequency and intensity of rainfall, the steepness and length of slopes, the kinds of
crops grown, and the tillage system used.
Loss of the surface layer through erosion is damaging for two major reasons. First,
productivity is reduced as the surface layer is lost and part of the subsoil is
incorporated into the plow layer. Loss of the surface layer is especially damaging on
soils that have a clayey subsoil, such as the Capshaw, Cunningham, Dewey, Enders,
Fullerton, and Townley soils. Second, soil erosion on farmland results in the
sedimentation of streams. Control of erosion minimizes this pollution and improves the
quality of water for municipal use, for recreation, and for fish and wildlife.
Erosion-control practices provide a protective surface cover, help to control runoff,
and increase the rate of water infiltration. A cropping system that keeps a plant cover
on the surface for extended periods helps to maintain the productive capacity of the
soil. On livestock farms, which require pasture and hay, including forage crops in the
cropping system reduces the hazard of erosion on sloping land and improves tilth for
the crops that follow in the rotation.
Applying conservation tillage systems that leave adequate amounts of crop residue
on the surface increases the rate of water infiltration, helps to control runoff, and
reduces the hazard of erosion. This practice can be used on most of the soils in
Murray and Whitfield Counties. No-till planting is an example of a conservation practice
that can be used on most of the soils in the survey area.
Terraces and diversions reduce the length of a slope and help to control runoff and
the concentrated flow of water on the soil. They are most practical on soils that have
smooth and convex slopes, such as the Cunningham, Enders, Dewey, and Fullerton soils.
Information about erosion-control and drainage practices for each kind of soil is
available at the local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Excess water is a limitation on some soils in the survey area. The type of drainage
system needed depends on the soil and the kinds of crops grown. Arkabutla,
Chenneby, and Ketona soils are examples of poorly drained or somewhat poorly
drained soils in the county where flooding and wetness are management concerns.
Management of drainage in conformance with regulations influencing wetlands may
require special permits and extra planning.
Natural fertility is low in most of the soils in the survey area. The soils in the survey
area are naturally acid. Applications of agricultural limestone are needed in order to