LOCATION BREEDS ILEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Breeds silty clay loam - on a 1/2 percent slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; weak fine granular structure; friable; few fine and common very fine roots; strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
A--9 to 16 inches; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam; dark gray (10YR 4/1) dry; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 10 to 20 inches.)
BA--16 to 19 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silty clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; many distinct black (10YR 2/1) organic coats on faces of peds; few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron masses with diffuse boundaries lining pores and root channels; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (0 to 5 inches)
Bt--19 to 23 inches; 70 perecent brown (10YR 4/3) and 30 percent brown (10YR 5/3) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; common distinct black (10YR 2/1) organic coats on faces of peds and common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and few fine prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) masses of iron accumulation, and few fine manganese masses with diffuse boundaries lining root channels and pores; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary.
Btg1--23 to 32 inches; 80 percent grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) and 20 percent light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; common distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on faces of peds and lining pores; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation, and few fine manganese masses with diffuse boundaries lining pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Btg2--32 to 40 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) silty clay loam; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few very fine roots; few distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films on vertical faces of peds and lining pores; common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) and few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 4/6) masses of iron accumulation, and few fine manganese masses with diffuse boundaries lining root channels and pores; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the Bt horizons is 10 to 25 inches.)
2BCt--40 to 46 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) stratified clay loam and sandy clay loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few distinct dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films lining pores; about 10 percent fine and medium and 2 percent coarse pebbles and shale channers; many fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) masses of iron accumulation with diffuse boundaries lining pores; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches)
3Cr--46 to 60 inches; weathered shale bedrock
TYPE LOCATION: Fulton County, Illinois; about 1/2 mile southwest of Banner; 765 feet east and 199 feet south of the northwest corner of sec. 14, T. 6 N., R. 6 E.; USGS Banner topographic quadrangle; lat. 40 degrees 30 minutes 34 seconds N. and long. 89 degrees 54 minutes 48 seconds W., NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The depth to the base of the cambic horizon ranges from 30 to 50 inches. The mollic epipedon is 10 to 20 inches thick. Depth to a paralithic contact in shale ranges from 40 to 60 inches. The particle size control section averages between 27 and 35 percent clay.
The upper part of the series control section (Ap, A, and/or AB horizon) has hue of 10YR, value of 2 or 3 and chroma of 1 or 2. Reaction ranges from strongly acid to neutral.
The middle part of the series control section (BA, Bt, Btg, 2Bt, and/or 2BC horizon) has hue of 10YR, or 2.5Y, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 4. Hue of 5Y is in the lower subhorizons in some pedons. Clay content of individual subhorizons ranges from 25 to 35 percent. Reaction ranges from moderately acid in the upper part to slightly alkaline in the lower part. Redox concentrations are present, commonly as iron and manganese masses lining root channels and pores.
Where present, the 2Bt and/or 2BC horizon has hue of 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 8. It is stratified clay loam, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, or loam. Content of rocks fragments is less than 15 percent.
The lower part of the series control section to a depth of 56 inches (3Cr horizon) is weathered shale bedrock.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Amana, Bradboldt, Grantcenter, Joy, Kingston, Klinger, Lakefield, Larpenteur, Minden, Muscatine, Primghar, and Ransom. These soils do not have a paralithic contact within a depth of 60 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Breeds soils are on broad summits of strath terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 3 percent. These soils formed in 40 to 60 inches of loess or other silty material and in the underlying stratified loamy outwash. Mean annual air temperature ranges from 50 to 54 degrees F, and mean annual precipitation ranges from 35 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Littleton, Monterey(T), Raddle, and Worthen soils. Littleton soils are in landscape positions upslope from the Breeds soils. The poorly drained Monterey soils are in low-lying positions nearby. The well drained Raddle and Worthen soils are in more sloping positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow. Permeability is moderate. These soils have an apparent water table at a depth of 1.0 to 3.0 feet below the surface during the spring in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Breeds soils are cultivated. Corn, soybeans and small grain are the principal crops. Native vegetation is prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western Illinois; MLRA 115. The soils of this series are not extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES PROPOSED: Fulton County, Illinois, 1995. Named for a town name in Fulton county.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 16 inches (Ap and A horizons); cambic horizon - the zone from approximately 19 to 40 inches (Bt, Btg1 and Btg2 horizons); a paralithic contact at a depth of 46 inches; aquic conditions - chroma of 2 or less and redox concentrations in the Bt and Btg horizons.