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The Soils of Elgin County - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Soils of Elgin County - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

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underlying fine textured materials . Bookton tillphase (BO.T) soils were mapped where 40 to 100cm <strong>of</strong> coarse textured lacustrine materials wereunderlain by fine to very fine textured PortStanley till .L<strong>and</strong> Use/Management CommentsBookton <strong>and</strong> Bookton till phase soils are ratedClass 2M for common field crops whentopography is not a limitation. Due to moisturedeficit conditions which occur in these soils,management practices should be considered whichmaintain organic matter levels <strong>and</strong> improve waterholding abilities . When the surface slopes are nottoo steep, Bookton <strong>and</strong> Bookton till phase soils arehighly suitable for a wide range <strong>of</strong> special crops .Suitability ratings for selected special crops aregiven in Tables 6, 7, <strong>and</strong> 8.Bookton <strong>and</strong> Bookton till phase soils aresusceptible to wind erosion . Planting cover crops<strong>and</strong> establishing windbreaks will aid in reducingthe risk <strong>of</strong> erosion by wind. Conservation tillagepractices, particularly no-till practices, should beconsidered for these soils .Brady <strong>Soils</strong> (BY)L<strong>and</strong>form <strong>and</strong> TopographyBrady soils have developed on blankets <strong>of</strong>coarse textured lacustrine materials . <strong>The</strong>y usuallyoccur on mid to crest slope positions in l<strong>and</strong>scapeswhich have nearly level or very gently undulatingtopography. Slopes generally range from 2 to 5%.Soil Moisture CharacteristicsBrady soils are imperfectly drained because <strong>of</strong>water table levels that rise into subsoil horizonsmainly during the winter <strong>and</strong> early spring . <strong>The</strong>yare usually rapidly permeable <strong>and</strong> have low waterholding capacities. Brady soils have slow surfacerun<strong>of</strong>f.General Soil Characteristics<strong>The</strong> Ap horizons usually have s<strong>and</strong>y loam orloamy s<strong>and</strong> textures . <strong>The</strong> Bm <strong>and</strong> Bmgj horizonsare more variable in texture, <strong>and</strong> commonly haves<strong>and</strong>y loam, loamy s<strong>and</strong>, fine s<strong>and</strong>, or s<strong>and</strong>textures . Clay enriched Btgj horizons, whichfrequently have fine s<strong>and</strong>y loam or loamy fines<strong>and</strong> texures, usually occur above the calcareousCkgj horizons . <strong>The</strong> Ckgj horizons usually haves<strong>and</strong>, loamy s<strong>and</strong>, or fine s<strong>and</strong> textures .Distinct to prominent, yellowish brown tostrong brown mottles occur within the pr<strong>of</strong>ile .Soil reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutralin the Ap horizons, to mildly alkaline in the Ckgjhorizons. Soil classification is typically GleyedBrunisolic Gray Brown Luvisol .Soil VariabilityBrady soils frequently have Btgj horizonswhich are weakly developed or discontinuous .Occasionally they do not have Btgj horizons, orthe Btgj horizons occur at depths greater than 100cm from the surface . Brady soils were most <strong>of</strong>tenmapped in combination with Fox (FX) <strong>and</strong> Granby(GY) soils .L<strong>and</strong> Use/Management CommentsBrady soils are rated Class 2F or 2FT forcommon field crops . Due to fertility limitations,management practices should be carried outwhichmaintain organic matter levels . Brady soils aresuitable for a range <strong>of</strong> special crops, especiallyfield crops such as white beans <strong>and</strong> spring canola.If they are the drained, <strong>and</strong> if supplementalirrigation is carried out, the suitability <strong>of</strong> Bradysoils increases for many special crops . Suitabilityratings for selected special crops are given inTables 6, 7, <strong>and</strong> 8.Brady soils are susceptible to wind erosion . Acrop rotation which includes a forage crop,planting cover crops, establishing windbreaks, <strong>and</strong>maintaining high crop residue levels will aid inreducing erosion by wind . Conservation .tillagepractices, particularly no-till practices, should beconsidered for these soils .Brant <strong>Soils</strong> (BT)L<strong>and</strong>form <strong>and</strong> TopographyBrant soils have developed on blankets <strong>of</strong>medium textured lacustrine materials . <strong>The</strong>yusually occur on upper <strong>and</strong> crest slope positionsin l<strong>and</strong>scapes which have very gently undulatingto hummocky topography. Slopes range from 2 to15%.Soil Moisture CharacteristicsBrant soils are well drained . <strong>The</strong>y are usuallymoderately permeable, but the permeabilitydecreases in horizons that are compacted or havehigh clay contents . <strong>The</strong> water holding capacities<strong>of</strong> Brant soils are high if permeability is notrestricted . Surface run<strong>of</strong>f ranges from slow torapid, depending on the steepness <strong>of</strong> the surfaceslope .29

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