LOCATION ZITA                    TX+NM

Established Series
Rev. TCB-RM
10/2022

ZITA SERIES

The Zita series consists of very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soils. These soils formed in calcareous, loamy eolian deposits from the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age. Zita soils are on nearly level and very gently sloping plains with a slope range of 0 to 3 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 483 mm (19 in) and the mean annual air temperature is about 16 degrees C (61 degrees F)

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Aridic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON:Zita loam, on a nearly level, slightly concave, 0.5 percent slope in cultivated field at an elevation of about 1,044 m (3,425 ft) (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.)

Ap--0 to 18 cm (0 to 7 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable; common fine roots; slightly alkaline; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--18 to 46 cm (7 to 18 in); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine roots; many very fine and fine pores; common wormcasts; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of A horizon is 10 to 80 cm [4 to 32 in].)

Bw--46 to 61 cm (18 to 24 in); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) clay loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; moderate medium granular and weak fine subangular blocky structure; hard, friable; few fine roots; many fine pores; common wormcasts; less than 2 percent calcium carbonate nodules by volume; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; clear smooth boundary. (Thickness is 15 to 50 cm [6 to 20 in].)

Bkk1--61 to 89 cm (24 to 35 in); white (10YR 8/1) clay loam, light gray (10YR 7/1) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable; about 50 percent calcium carbonate by volume in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline; diffuse boundary. (Thickness is 25 to 76 cm [10 to 30 in].)

Bkk2--89 to 203 cm (35 to 80 in); very pale brown (10YR 7/3) clay loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; massive; hard, firm; about 60 percent calcium carbonate by volume in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates; violently effervescent; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Hockley County, Texas; from the intersection of U.S. Highway 385 and Texas Highway 114 in Levelland, 7 miles east on Texas Highway 116, 1.5 miles north and 0.5 mile east on county roads, 400 ft north in cultivated field; Latitude: 33 degrees, 37 minutes, 01 seconds N; Longitude: 102 degrees, 14 minutes, 06 seconds W; Smyer, Texas USGS quad; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: An ustic moisture regime bordering on aridic. The soil moisture control section is dry in some or all parts for more than 180 but less than 220 days, cumulative, in normal years. October through March are the driest months.
These soils are intermittently moist in April through September.
Mean annual soil temperature: 15 to 18 degrees C (59 to 64 degrees F)
Depth to secondary calcium carbonate: 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 in)
Depth to calcic horizon: 51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in)
Solum thickness: more than 203 cm (80 in).
Particle-size control section: 18 to 35 percent silicate clay.

Ap horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 3 or 4 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Effervescence: none
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

Bw horizon
Hue: 7.5YR or 10YR
Value: 5 or 6 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: less than 2 percent in the form of masses and nodules
Effervescence: strong or violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline

Bkk horizons
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 6 to 8 dry, 5 to 7 moist
Chroma: 1 to 4
Texture: sandy clay loam, loam, or clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: 50 to 70 percent by volume in the form of masses, nodules, and finely disseminated carbonates
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately or strongly alkaline

Bk horizon (where present)
Hue: 5YR to 10YR
Value: 6 to 7 dry, 5 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam, sandy clay loam, or clay loam
Visible calcium carbonate: 3 to 50 percent by volume in the form of films, filaments, masses, nodules and finely disseminated carbonates
Effervescence: violent
Reaction: moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES:
This is the Paloduro series in the same family. Similar are the Estacado, Pep, Portales, and Tokio series.
Paloduro soils: have a calcic horizon at depths over 102 cm (40 in) and formed in sediments derived from the Ogallala Formation of Miocene-Pliocene age.
Estacado and Tokio soils: have an argillic horizon, in addition Tokio soils have an ochric epipedon.
Pep and Portales soils: have slight to violent effervescence in all horizons above the calcic.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous, loamy eolian sediments of the Blackwater Draw Formation of Pleistocene age.
Landform: nearly level and very gently sloping, slightly concave swales on eolian plains.
Slopes: 0 to 3 percent.
Mean annual air temperature: 14 to 17 degrees C (57 to 63 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation: 432 to 533 mm (17 to 21 in)
Frost-free period: 185 to 220 days.
Elevation: 823 to 1,433 m (2,700 to 4,700 ft)
Thornthwaite annual P-E Index Values: 25 to 36

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the similar Portales series and the Acuff, Amarillo, Olton, and Pullman series.
Acuff soils are on slightly higher landscape positions and have an argillic horizon.
Amarillo soils are on higher landscape positions, have an argillic horizon, and do not have a mollic epipedon.
Olton and Pullman soils are on slightly higher landscape positions and have an argillic horizon that contains more than 35 percent silicate clay in the particle-size control section.
Portales soils are on similar landscape positions.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained and moderate permeability. Surface runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes and low on 1 to 3 percent slopes.

USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly cultivated to cotton, grain sorghum, and wheat.
Climax vegetation is mainly mid and short grasses and includes blue grama,
sideoats grama, and buffalograss, with lesser amounts of vine-mesquite, western wheatgrass, galleta or tobosa, silver bluestem, wild alfalfa, and prairieclover with a light to moderate overstory of mesquite.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern High Plains, Southern part (MLRA 77C in LRR H) of western Texas and eastern New Mexico. The series is extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Potter County, Texas; 1929.

REMARKS:
Series revised MLRA-77 Soil Survey; Deaf Smith County, Texas; 1998. New type location: 07NM041002.

Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon: 0 to 46 cm (0 to 18 in) (A horizons)
Cambic horizon: 46 to 61 cm (18 to 24 in) (Bw horizon)
Calcic horizon: 61 to 89 cm (24 to 35 in) (Bk horizon)
Carbonate plugged horizon (kk): 61 to 203 cm (24 to 80 in) (Bkk horizons)
Note: The kk feature is defined as pedogenic carbonate accumulation that is characterized by laterally continuous carbonates that have engulfed rock, sand, silt, and clay particles; plugged the macroporosity of the soil horizon with 50 percent or more calcium carbonate; and obliterated the original soil structure.

Taxonomic version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Twelfth Edition, 2014.

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.