LOCATION CERINI CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Fluventic Haplocambids
TYPICAL PEDON: Cerini clay loam, on a slope of less than 2 percent in a fallow field at an elevation of 322 feet. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated. When described on December 30, 1982, the soil was moist throughout.)
Ap--0 to 5 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, firm, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
Bw1--5 to 16 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate coarse prismatic and moderate medium subangular structure; very hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; slightly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 7.9); abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
Bw2--16 to 25 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) clay loam, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; very hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
Bk1--25 to 35 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) silt loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; strong medium platy structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular and common very fine interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated as common fine irregularly shaped soft masses and threads; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 12 inches thick)
Bk2--35 to 47 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) fine sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated as common fine irregularly shaped soft masses; slightly alkaline (pH 7.7); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 20 inches thick)
Bk3--47 to 57 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) sandy loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated as few fine irregularly shaped soft masses; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 20 inches thick)
Bk4--57 to 62 inches; light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; common very fine tubular and interstitial pores; strongly effervescent, carbonates disseminated and segregated as few fine irregularly shaped soft masses; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 20 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Fresno County, California; approximately 12 miles west of the community of Tranquillity; 1,320 feet north and 600 feet east of the southwest corner of sec. 18, T. 15 S., R. 14 E., MDB&M; Latitude 36 degrees, 37 minutes, 20 seconds north and Longitude 120 degrees, 29 minutes, 37 seconds west; USGS Levis Topographic Quadrangle, NAD 27.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Unless irrigated, the soil between depths of 4 and 12 inches is usually not moist in some or all parts for as long as 70 to 90 consecutive days. It is usually dry from March or April to December or January. The soil is low in organic matter and is less than 1 percent. The organic matter decreases irregularly with increasing depth. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline. It is calcareous throughout with 1 to 4 percent calcium carbonate equivalent. Gypsum crystals are present in some pedons. The 10 to 40 inch control section averages 18 to 34 percent clay.
The A horizon has color of 10YR 5/3, 6/3; 2.5Y 5/3, 6/2 or 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/3; 2.5Y 4/2, 4/3 or 4/4. Texture is sandy loam, loam or clay loam. Clay content is 15 to 35 percent. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline.
The Bw horizon has color of 10YR 5/3, 6/3; 2.5Y 5/4, 6/2 or 6/4. Moist color is 10YR 3/3, 4/3; 2.5Y 4/2, 4/3, 4/4, 5/2 or 5/4. Texture is sandy loam, loam or clay loam. Clay content is 15 to 35 percent. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline.
The Bk horizon has color of 10YR 5/4, 6/4; 2.5Y 5/3, 6/2, 6/4 or 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 4/3; 2.5Y 3/2, 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 4/4 or 5/4. Texture is stratified sandy loam to clay loam. Clay content is 8 to 35 percent, but the 10 to 40 inch control section averages 18 to 34 percent clay. Reaction is slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline. Gravel content is 0 to 13 percent.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Yaqui series. Yaqui soils(MLRA 40, 41) have a 2Btb horizon with 7.5YR and 5YR hues and have intermittent summer rainfall.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Cerini soils are on alluvial fans. Slopes are 0 to 5 percent. The soil formed in alluvium derived dominantly from sedimentary rock. Elevation is 165 to 1000 feet. The climate is arid with hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Mean annual precipitation is 6 to 8 inches. Mean January temperature is about 45 degrees F; mean July temperature is about 82 degrees F; and mean annual temperature is 62 degrees to 64 degrees F. The frost free season is 230 to 290 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ciervo, Excelsior, Kimberlina, Panoche, and Westhaven soils. Ciervo soils have a fine particle-size control section and are on fan skirts. Excelsior and Kimberlina soils have a coarse-loamy particle-size control section and are on alluvial fans. Panoche soils have an organic carbon content that decreases regularly with increasing depth and are on alluvial fans. Westhaven soils have a fine-silty particle-size control section and are on alluvial fans.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; low or medium runoff; moderately slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for irrigated crops such as cotton, tomatoes, cantaloupes, garlic, onions and wheat. Native vegetation is annual grasses, forbs, and desert saltbrush (Atriplex spp.).
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern part of San Joaquin Valley of California; the soils are of large extent. MLRA 17.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Fresno County, California, 2000
REMARKS: Previously mapped as Panoche series in the soil survey of Mendota Area, California, Series 1940, No. 18 and Coalinga Area, California, Series 1944, No. 1. The classification of Cerini Series was proposed as Typic Torrifluvents. This was changed to Fluventic Haplocambids when a cambic horizon was recognized in the Cerini profile. The presence of a cambic horizon is based on the following characteristic:
1. Soil structure in the cambic horizon (unless moist from irrigation or rainfall or drastically modified by deep ripping).
2. Removal of carbonates from the cambic horizon.
3. Accumulation of carbonates below the cambic horizon which supports loss of carbonates from overlying horizons.
4. Higher chroma in the cambic horizon in some pedons.
5. Most areas of Cerini soil are irrigated with 2 to 3 feet of water per year applied for crop production. Previous to irrigation, only about 7 inches of precipitation coupled with flood water, was available for soil development. Movement of carbonates, fertilizers, and salt through the soil profile has created more pronounced cambic horizons because of application of irrigation water.
Major Diagnostic Horizons:
1. Ochric Epipedon--0 to 5 inches (Ap).
2. Cambic Horizon--5 to 25 inches (Bw).
2.1 Removal of carbonates from the cambic horizon.
3. Zone of redistribution--25 to 62 inches (Bk).