LOCATION MCFARLAND CAEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, nonacid, thermic Typic Torriorthents
TYPICAL PEDON: McFarland loam, cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 11 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and few very fine tubular pores; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary. (5 to 11 inches thick)
A12--11 to 24 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine and few fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); clear smooth boundary. (7 to 16 inches thick)
C1--24 to 48 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots, many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; slightly effervescent, lime disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.4); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 24 inches thick)
C2--48 to 55 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots, many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; slightly effervescent, lime disseminated; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (7 to 26 inches thick)
IIC3--55 to 64 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) light loam, grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine interstitial and tubular pores; strongly effervescent, lime disseminated; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2). (8 to 10 inches thick)
TYPE LOCATION: Kern County, California; approximately 2 miles northeast of Wasco; about 1,200 feet east of the center of section 32, T.26 S., R.25 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The soil between the depths of about 4 and 12 inches is dry in all parts from mid April until mid January. It is only continuously moist in some part less than 90 consecutive days during the winter. Mean annual soil temperature is 63 degrees to 67 degrees F. Depth to carbonates ranges from 20 to 48 inches and commonly is below 40 inches. Carbonates are usually disseminated but some pedons have few segregated filaments or threads, seams, or soft masses. The 10 to 40 inch control section is loam or clay loam and in most pedons the entire profile is loam or clay loam and has 18 to 35 percent clay content. Rock fragments are usually less than 1/2 inch in diameter and they make up less than 10 percent of the profile. Some pedons show weakly defined thick stratification below 40 inches, but distinct thin stratification is lacking.
The A horizon has a dry color of 10YR 5/2, 5/3, 5/4; or 2.5Y 5/2. Moist color is 10YR 3/2, 3/3, 4/2; or 2.5Y 4/2. Organic matter in the upper 7 inches is less than one percent and decreases regularly with depth. This horizon is slightly acid to moderately alkaline. Clay content ranges from 18 to 35 percent and gravel content varies from 0 to 5 percent.
The C horizon has a dry color of 10YR 5/3, 6/2, 6/3, 7/3; 2.5Y 6/2, or 7/2. Moist color is 10YR 4/2, 4/3, 5/2, 5/3, 5/4, 6/2, 6/3; 2.5Y 4/2, or 5/2. The upper part is loam or clay loam and the lower part, below 40 inches, is light loam, loam, sandy loam or fine sandy loam. Clay content varies from 15 to 35 percent. Gravel content is 5 to 10 percent. It is neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Leeds, Mogul, and Panoche series in other families. Leeds soils have a hue of 7.5YR or redder and the organic matter decreases irregularly with depth. Mogul soils are gravelly or very gravelly and the moisture control section is moist in some part during the summer months of July, August, or September. Panoche soils are effervescent throughout the profile.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: McFarland soils are on alluvial fans and flood plains at elevations of about 285 to 400 feet. Slopes are 0 to 2 percent. The soils formed in deep medium textured alluvium from granitic rock sources. The climate is arid (desert) with hot dry summers and cool winter. Mean annual precipitation is 5 to 7 inches, very little of which occurs in summer. The average January temperature is about 47 degrees F., average July temperature is about 82 degrees F., mean annual temperature is about 64 degrees F. Frost-free season is about 250 to 275 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Kimberlina and Wasco soils and the competing Panoche soils. Kimberlina and Wasco soils have a coarse-loamy control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; slow runoff; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Used for growing a wide range of irrigated fruits, vegetables, and general farm crops. Vegetation is uncultivated areas is mainly annual grasses and forbs.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southern part of the San Joaquin Valley of California; moderately extensive.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Davis, California
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Kern County, Northwestern Part, California, 1982.
REMARKS: The soils were originally mapped as Hesperia series. Hesperia soils are recognized as having a coarse-loamy control section and are moist in some part of the moisture control section from mid-December to mid-April.
The activity class was added to the classification in February of 2003. Competing series were not checked at that time. - ET