LOCATION TIFTON GA AL FL
Established Series
Rev. GRB-APT-AMS; Rev. DTA
01/2026
TIFTON SERIES
MLRA(s): 133A, 153A
Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) Responsible: Southeast
Depth Class: Very deep
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Moderate
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class: Moderately high to moderately low
Shrink-Swell Potential: Low
Landscape: Coastal Plain uplands
Landform: Ridges and side slopes
Parent Material: Loamy marine deposits
Slope: 0 to 8 percent
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 18 degrees C (64 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1346 millimeters (53 inches)
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Plinthic Kandiudults
TYPICAL PEDON: Tifton loamy sand, on a 3 percent convex slope in a pasture. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted).
Apc--0 to 28 centimeters (0 to 11 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loamy sand; weak fine granular structure; very friable; common fine roots; about 9 percent, by volume, ironstone nodules less than 0.75 inch in diameter; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. [13 to 30 centimeters (5 to 12 inches) thick].
Btc1--28 to 56 centimeters (11 to 22 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) fine sandy loam; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; common fine roots; few fine pores; sand grains bridged with clay; about 11 percent, by volume, ironstone nodules less than 0.75 inch in diameter; strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btc2--56 to 102 centimeters (22 to 40 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few fine continuous pores; few faint clay films on faces of peds; about 10 percent, by volume, ironstone nodules less than 0.75 inch in diameter; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Btc horizons is 36 to 86 centimeters (14 to 34 inches)].
Btv1--102 to 127 centimeters (40 to 50 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few medium continuous pores; 5 percent nodular plinthite; common distinct clay films on faces of peds; 4 percent ironstone nodules by volume less than 0.75 inches in diameter; common medium prominent yellowish red (5YR 5/6) and common fine prominent red (2.5YR 4/8) masses of oxidized iron; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
Btv2--127 to 152 centimeters (50 to 60 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) paragravelly sandy clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; 15 percent nodular plinthite; few distinct clay films on faces of peds; 2 percent ironstone nodules; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) and common medium distinct brownish yellow (10YR 6/6) masses of oxidized iron and common medium prominent light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; clear wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of the Btv horizons is 51 to 102 centimeters (20 to 40 inches)].
BCt--152 to 165 centimeters (60 to 65 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) sandy clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; few coarse pores; 2 percent ironstone nodules; common medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron and light gray (10YR 7/2) iron depletions; very strongly acid; gradual wavy boundary.
C--165 to 203 centimeters (65 to 80 inches); strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) sandy clay loam; massive; firm; 2 percent plinthite; 2 percent ironstone nodules; many medium prominent red (2.5YR 4/6) masses of oxidized iron and common medium prominent white (10YR 8/1) iron depletions; very strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Tift County, Georgia. The Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Carpenter Farm. About 0.96 kilometers north (0.6 miles) of Abraham Baldwin College to Zion Hope Church Road, about 1.28 kilometers west (0.8 miles) on paved road, about 0.64 kilometers north (0.4 miles) on unpaved road and about 100 feet west of road. USGS Tifton West, Georgia topographic quadrangle.
Latitude--31.4997
Longitude-- -83.5433
Datum--WGS84
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Solum thickness: Greater than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 203 centimeters (80 inches)
Depth to Seasonal High Water Table: 127 to 152 centimeters (50 to 60 inches), January to March
Rock Fragment content: 0 to 10 percent, by volume
Plinthite: Depth to horizons with 5 percent or more plinthite is dominantly 76 to 127 centimeters (30 to 50 inches), but in some pedons it is 63 centimeters (25 inches).
Soil reaction: Extremely acid to strongly acid throughout, except where limed
Other features: The particle-size control section contains less than 30 percent silt.
RANGE OF INDIVIDUAL HORIZONS:
Ac or Apc horizons:
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 5, chroma of 1 to 4
Texture--sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Fragments--nodules of ironstone range from 5 to 25 percent, by volume
Ec horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 5 or 6, chroma of 4 to 6
Texture--sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, sandy loam, or fine sandy loam
Fragments--nodules of ironstone range from 5 to 25 percent, by volume
BEc horizon (if it occurs):
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value 5 or 6, chroma 4 to 8
Texture--sandy loam
Fragments--nodules of ironstone range from 5 to 25 percent, by volume
Btc horizon:
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture--fine sandy loam, sandy loam, or sandy clay loam. Some pedons range up to sandy clay in the lower part.
Fragments--nodules of ironstone range from 5 to 30 percent, by volume. Content of nodular plinthite ranges from 0 to 4 percent in the lower part of the horizon.
Btv horizon (upper part):
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, chroma of 4 to 8
Texture--sandy clay loam or sandy clay
Fragments--nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 15 percent, by volume. Nodular plinthite ranges from 5 to 30 percent.
Redoximorphic features--iron masses in shades of red and brown
Btv horizon (lower part):
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, chroma of 5 to 8
Texture-- sandy clay loam or sandy clay
Fragments--nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 15 percent, by volume
Nodular and platy plinthite range from 5 to 15 percent
Redoximorphic features--iron masses in shades of red, brown, and yellow and iron depletions in shades of gray
BCt and C horizons:
Color--hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 5 or 6, chroma 6 to 8
Texture--sandy loam, sandy clay loam, sandy clay, or clay
Fragments--nodules of ironstone range from 0 to 15 percent, by volume
Nodular and platy plinthite range from 5 to 15 percent
Redoximorphic features--iron masses in shades of red, brown, and yellow and iron depletions in shades of gray
COMPETING SERIES:
Dothan soils--have less than 5 percent, by volume, ironstone nodules in the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landscape: Coastal Plain uplands
Landform: Ridges and side slopes
Elevation: 30 to 122 meters (98 to 400 feet) above mean sea level
Parent Material: Loamy marine sediments
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 13 to 21 degrees C (55 to 70 degrees F)
Mean Annual Precipitation: 1016 to 1727 millimeters (40 to 68 inches)
Frost Free Period: 190 to 310 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS:
Carnegie soils--are clayey and have a depth to plinthite of 51 centimeters (20 inches)
Clarendon soils--are moderately well drained
Cowarts soils--are moderately well and well drained, have less than 5 percent plinthite, and have a solum less than 152 centimeters (60 inches)
Faceville soils--are clayey, red, and have less than 5 percent ironstone nodules and plinthite
Fuquay soils--are arenic
Irvington soils--have a fragipan and have less than 5 percent ironstone nodules and plinthite
Marlboro soils--are clayey and have less than 5 percent ironstone nodules and plinthite
Noboco soils--are moderately well and well drained and have less than 5 percent ironstone nodules and plinthite
Norfolk soils--have less than 5 percent ironstone nodules and plinthite
Orangeburg soils--are redder in color and have less than 5 percent ironstone nodules and plinthite
Stilson soils--are moderately well drained and are arenic
Sunsweet soils--are clayey and have plinthite at a depth of 20 centimeters (8 inches)
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Agricultural Drainage Class: Well drained
Index Surface Runoff: Moderate
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: Moderately high to moderately low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Major Uses: Cropland, pasture, and woodland. Where cultivated--cotton, corn, peanuts, vegetable crops, and small grains. Where wooded--longleaf pine, loblolly pine, slash pine with some scattered hardwoods on cutover areas.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Distribution: Georgia, Alabama, and Florida
Extent: Moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Auburn, Alabama.
SERIES ESTABLISHED:
Grady County, Georgia; 1908.
REMARKS: The type location was shifted 80 to 90 feet West due to a road widening project that destroyed original site. The January 2026 revision changed the format. No data was changed.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
Ochric epipedon--the zone from 0 to 28 centimeters (0 to 11 inches) (Apc horizon)
Argillic horizon--the zone from 28 to 165 centimeters (11 to 65 inches) (Btc1, Btc2, Btv1, Btv2, and BCt horizons)
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available on the National Soil Survey website at: http://ncsslabdatamart.sc.egov.usda.gov/querypage.aspx
Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 16, and Southern Cooperative Series Bulletin 148, May 1970, contains data from a pedon in the general area near the type location. Data on the typifying pedon is available through the National Soil Survey Laboratory and is identified as pedon S81GA277011 and NSSL Nos. 81P2672-2678.
OSD User Site ID: 1999GA277100
OSD User Pedon ID: 1999GA277100
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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.