LOCATION JUDICE LA+TX

Established Series
Rev. JLD-JJD-RM
05/2014

JUDICE SERIES

The Judice series consists of very deep, poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils formed in clayey sediments on terraces of late Pleistocene age. These nearly level soils are in broad slightly depressional areas. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 1574 mm (62 in), and mean annual air temperature is about 20 degrees C (68 degrees F).

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Typic Epiaquerts

TYPICAL PEDON: Judice silty clay--cropland in smooth depressional area. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 in); black (10YR 2/1) silty clay; moderate medium and coarse subangular blocky structure parting to weak fine and medium granular; firm, sticky, plastic; many fine and medium roots; few brown (7.5YR 4/4) stains in root channels and on ped surfaces; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (8 to 36 cm [3 to 15 in] thick)

Bg--23 to 51 cm (9 to 20 in); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate medium and fine subangular blocky; firm, sticky, plastic; many fine roots; few fine pores; many shiny pressure surfaces on most peds; few concretions of calcium carbonate up to 3 in in diameter; common crawfish krotovina 2 to 5 cm in diameter; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (15 to 48 cm [6 to 19 in] thick)

Bssg1--51 to 102 cm (20 to 40 in); gray (10YR 5/1) silty clay; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; many shiny surfaces on most peds; few prominent slickensides; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) iron concentrations; common crawfish krotovina 2 to 5 cm in diameter; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

Bssg2--102 to 124 cm (40 to 49 in); gray (5Y 6/1) silty clay; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; common shiny surfaces on most peds; few prominent slickensides; many coarse prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) and few fine distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) iron concentrations; few crawfish krotovina 2 to 5 cm in diameter; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

Bssg3--124 to 150 cm (49 to 59 in); gray (5Y 6/1) silty clay; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; few fine pores; common shiny pressure surfaces on peds; few prominent slickensides; many coarse prominent olive (5Y 5/6) iron concentrations; brown (7.5YR 4/4) linings on root channels filled with very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay; few crawfish krotovina 2 to 5 cm in diameter; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.

Bssg4--150 to 203 cm (59 to 80 in); gray (5Y 6/1) silty clay; weak coarse prismatic structure; firm, sticky, plastic; few fine roots; common shiny pressure surfaces on peds; few prominent slickensides; common coarse prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) iron concentrations; few crawfish krotovina 2 to 5 cm in diameter; neutral. (combined thickness of the Bssg horizons is 102 to 165 cm [40 to 65 in].)

TYPE LOCATION: Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana; 1 mile east of Thornwell; 0.25 mile west of LA Highway 382; 150 feet north of LA Highway 380. USGS topographic quatdrangle: Thornwell; SW1/4, SE1/4 sec. 9, T. 10 S., R. 4. W. Latitude: 30, 06, 42 North; Longitude: 92, 46, 44 West. WGS84.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil Moisture: An aquic soil moisture regime.
Mean annual soil temperature: 19.9 to 21.7 degrees C (68 to 71 degrees F)
Solum thickness is more than to 203 cm (80 in).

Thickness of the mollic epipedon: 25 to 61 cm (10 to 24 in)
Vertic features (slickensides): 20 to 64 cm (8 to 25 in)

Particle-size control section (weighted average)
Clay content: 35 to 55 percent

A Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 2 or 3
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, or silty clay
Redox concentrations: amount-none to common, shades- brown
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral (5.6 to 7.3)

Bg Horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 or 4
Chroma: 1
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, clay
Redox concentrations: amount-none to common, shades-brown
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-none or few, size- up to 8 cm (3 in), kind-concretions
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline (5.6 to 7.8)

Bssg Horizons
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam, silty clay loam, silty clay, clay
Slickensides/Pressure faces: amount-few to many; distinctness-distinct or prominient
Redox concentrations: amount-few to many, shades-brown or yellow
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-none to common, up to 8 cm (3 in), kind-concretions
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline (6.6 to 8.4)

BC and BCg (where present) Horizons
Hue: 10YR to 5Y
Value: 4 to 6
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: clay loam or silty clay loam
Redox concentrations: amount-few to many, shades-brown or yellow
Identifiable secondary carbonate: amount-none to common, up to 8 cm (3 in), kind-concretions
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline (6.6 to 8.4)

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Carl (MO), Laneburg (T-AR), Osage (MO), and Terouge (AR)series in the same family.
Carl soils: have an argillic horizon; limestone-cherty gravel in argillic horizon
Laneburg soils: have an argillic horizon; somewhat poorly drained
Osage soils: in area of cooler mean annual air temperature and less precipitation
Terouge soils: are calcareous throughout

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: clayey fluviomarine deposits of late Pleistocene age
Landscape: flat coastal plains
Landform: broad depressional areas and relic meandering channels
Slope: 0 to 1 percent but mainly less than 0.5 percent
Mean annual precipitation: 1397 to 1651 mm (55 to 65 in)
Precipitation Pattern: Precipitation is uniform throughout the year with slight peaks during the spring and summer months
Thornthwaite P-E index: 64 to 70.
Mean annual air temperature: 19.3 to 20.1 degrees C (67 to 68 degrees F)
Frost-free period: 245 to 350 days
Elevation: 1.2 to 24.4 m (4 to 80 ft)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Crowley, Edgerly, Jeanerette, Midland, Morey, Mowata, and Patoutville series. All of these soils are slightly higher in the landscape.

Crowley, Midland, Mowata, and Patoutville soils: have an ochric epipedon; argillic horizon.
Edgerly, Jeanerette, and Morey: are loamy throughout; are associated with Judice soils in the eastern prairies of south Louisiana close to the Mississippi valley. Crowley, Midland, and Mowata soils are associated with Judice soils in the central and western prairies, while Edgerly soils are associated with Judice soils near the coast.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Poorly drained. Permeability is very slow. Runoff is negligible. A perched water table is at a depth of about 15 cm to 46 cm (about 0.5 to 1.5 ft) from December to April. In some areas, these soils are subject to flooding.

USE AND VEGETATION: Used mainly for growing rice and for pasture. Tall grasses and sedges were the dominant native vegetation.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Gulf Coast Prairie of Louisiana and southeast Texas (MLRA 150A, LRR T). The series is of moderate extent.

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

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Lafayette Parish, Louisiana; 1976.

REMARKS: These soils were previously included in the Beaumont, Jeanerette, and Midland series. Classification changed 1999 based on Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eighth Edition, 1998. The classification was changed from Vertic Epiaquolls to Typic Epiaquerts. With the change in classification the type location also was moved from Lafayette Parish to Jefferson Davis Parish to place in the central part of the series province.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:

Mollic epipedon--0 to 23 cm (0 to 9 in). (Ap horizon.)
Cambic horizon--23 to 203 cm (9 to 80 in). (Bssg horizons.)
Vertisol properties--51 to 203 cm (20 to 80 in). (Bssg horizons) include slickensides, shiny pressure faces and cracks in some years.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station data for type location in Jefferson Davis Parish (S87LA053113B-4).

Taxonomic Version: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Eleventh Edition, 2010.

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.