LOCATION FARFELD ND
Established Series
TMC-ARG
01/2023
FARFELD SERIES
The Farfeld series consists of shallow, well drained soils that formed in alluvium. Permeability is moderate in the upper part and very slow in the lower part. These soils are on upland plains and plateaus on drainage divides. Slopes are 0 to 6 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 15 inches and the mean annual air temperature is about 42 degrees F.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid, shallow Entic Durustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Farfeld loam - on a 2 percent northeast facing plane slope in rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated)
A--0 to 4 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots throughout and common medium throughout and few coarse throughout; 18 percent clay; neutral; clear smooth boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw1--4 to 8 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots throughout and few fine throughout and few medium throughout; common very fine low continuity tubular pores; 20 percent clay; 10 percent angular gravel; neutral; clear smooth boundary.
Bw2--8 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots throughout and few medium throughout and few fine throughout; many very fine low continuous tubular pores; 21 percent clay; 10 percent angular gravel; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (Combined Bw horizons 5 to 13 inches thick)
2Bqm--15 to 28 inches; strongly cemented silicrete ; 5 percent fine earth fraction in fractures (vertical and horizontal) is light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) clay loam, olive brown (2.5Y 4/3) moist; moderate medium angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots in cracks and few fine in cracks; 38 percent clay; common distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; 95 percent consolidated silicrete; slightly alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (6 to 15 inches thick)
2Bkqm--28 to 37 inches; strongly cemented indurated silicrete; 10 percent fine earth fraction in fractures (vertical and horizontal) is light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3) clay, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; moderate fine angular blocky structure; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common very fine roots in cracks; 42 percent clay; very few carbonate coats on rock fragments; strongly effervescent throughout (HCL, 1 normal); 90 percent consolidated silicrete; moderately alkaline; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
3Bt1--37 to 42 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) gravelly clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots throughout; 42 percent clay; few faint patchy clay films on faces of peds; common fine irregular prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron concretions and common fine irregular distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) relict iron depletions; slightly effervescent throughout (HCL, 1 normal); 20 percent angular gravel (cemented material); moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
3Bt2--42 to 53 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) clay, olive brown (2.5Y 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; few very fine roots throughout; common fine moderate continuous tubular pores; 42 percent clay; common distinct discontinuous clay films on faces of peds and in pores; horizontal bands of concentrations and depletions ranging in thickness from 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches; common prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) iron concretions and many prominent olive gray (5Y 5/2) iron depletions; common nests of gypsum pedogenic throughout; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (5 to 20 inches thick)
3C1 horizon--53 to 88 inches; gray (5Y 6/1) clay, dark gray (5Y 4/1) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine moderate continuous tubular pores; 42 percent clay; common fine irregular prominent light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) iron concretions; few nests of gypsum pedogenic throughout; very slightly effervescent throughout (HCL, 1 normal); moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
3C2 horizon--88 to 120 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) silty clay, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) moist; massive; hard, firm, sticky and plastic; common fine irregular prominent brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron concretions; 98 to 105 inches has iron-manganese concretions; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Billings County, North Dakota; 750 feet west and 200 feet north of the southeast corner, sec. 4, T. 142 N., R. 99 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil temperature - 40 to 45 degrees F.
Mollic thickness - 7 to 16 inches
Depth to Bqm - 10 to 20 inches
A horizon: Hue 10YR
Value: 4 (2 or 3 moist)
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: loam or silt loam
Reaction - slightly acid or neutral
Bw horizon: Hue 10YR
Value: 3 to 6 (2 to 4 moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loam or silt loam
Reaction - neutral or slightly alkaline
2Bqm horizon: 0 to 10 percent fine earth fraction
Fine earth fraction:
Hue: 2.5Y, 10YR or 5Y
Value: 4 or 5 (3 or 4 moist)
Chroma: 1 to 4 (3 or 4 moist)
Texture: clay loam, clay or loam
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Resistance - moderately cemented to very strongly cemented
2Bkqm horizon: 0 to 10 percent fine earth fraction
Fine earth fraction:
Hue: 2.5Y or 5Y
Value: 5 or 6 (4 or 5 moist)
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: clay
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Resistance - moderately cemented to very strongly cemented
3Bt horizon: Hue 2.5Y, 5Y or neutral
Value: 5 to 7 (4 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: clay or silty clay loam
Percent rock fragments - 0 to 25 percent with the higher amounts in the upper part
Reaction - slightly alkaline or moderately alkaline
Some pedons have a 2Btkn or 2Btny horizon
3C horizon: Hue 5Y, 2.5Y or neutral
Value: 5 to 7 (4 to 6 moist)
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay, silty clay or silty clay loam
Reaction - slightly alkaline to strongly alkaline
COMPETING SERIES:
Cuniff and
Hackney - have soft bedrock at depths of 10 to 20 inches. They do not have an indurated pan.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform - upland drainage divides.
Elevation - 2,000 to 3,000 feet.
Slope - 0 to 6 percent.
Parent material: alluvium.
Climate: cool, with long, cold winters; moist springs; warm summers.
Mean annual precipitation: 14 to 16 inches.
Mean annual air temperature: 40 to 45 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Amor,
Cedarpan,
Dogtooth,
Farnuf,
Janesburg,
Regent and
Wyola. Amor soils are on side slopes. They have soft bedrock at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Cedarpan, Dogtooth and Janesburg soils are intermixed with the Farfeld soils. They have natric horizons. Farnuf, Regent and Wyola soils are on fans. They have argillic horizons and have soft bedrock below a depth of 20 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate in the upper part and very slow in the underlying material.
USE AND VEGETATION: Farfeld soils are used for rangeland. The potential native vegetation is blue grama, thickspike wheatgrass and western needlegrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Farfeld soils are of small extent in southwestern North Dakota.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLSIHED: Billings County, North Dakota, 1998.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are: mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of 8 inches (A and Bw1 horizons): cambic horizon - the zone from 8 to 15 inches (Bw2 horizon); duripan from 15 to 37 inches (2Bqm and 2Bkqm horizons); particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 15 inches (Bw2 horizon).
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.