LOCATION MAXFIELD IA+MN
Established Series
Rev. RID-DMA-LDC
09/2016
MAXFIELD SERIES
The Maxfield series consists of very deep, poorly drained soils formed in 60 to 102 centimeters of loess and underlying glacial till. Maxfield soils are on interfluves and on head slopes of broad, shallow drainageways on dissected till plains. Slope ranges from 0 to 2 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 880 millimeters. Mean annual air temperature is about 9 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Endoaquolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Maxfield silty clay loam, on a 1 percent slope, in a cultivated field. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 31 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine and medium roots throughout; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
A--31 to 48 centimeters; black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine roots throughout; common fine distinct gray (10YR 5/1) iron depletions; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 36 to 62 centimeters.)
Bg--48 to 74 centimeters; dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) silty clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common distinct dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay films on faces of peds; common fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 76 centimeters thick)
2Bw1--74 to 119 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses; common fine distinct grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions; about 2 percent rock fragments; neutral; gradual smooth boundary.
2Bw2--119 to 140 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) loam; weak medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine faint strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses; common fine prominent grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) iron depletions; about 2 percent rock fragments; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the 2Bw horizon is 0 to 77 centimeters.)
2BC1--140 to 178 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; common medium distinct strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) iron masses; common medium prominent gray (2.5Y 6/1) iron depletions; about 2 percent rock fragments; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.
2BC2--178 to 203 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; firm; many medium prominent gray (2.5Y 6/1) iron depletions; about 2 percent rock fragments; slightly effervescent; slightly alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 104-Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies; Bremer County, Iowa subset; located about 170 feet east and 293 feet north of the southwest corner of section 24, T. 91 N., R. 12 W.; USGS Readlyn topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 40 minutes 18.0 seconds N. and long. 92 degrees 13 minutes 7.2 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Thickness of the mollic epipedon--36 to 60 centimeters
Depth to glacial till--60 to 102 centimeters
Depth to carbonates--greater than 102 centimeters
Clay content in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--26 to 32 percent
Sand content in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--less than 15 percent
Special feature--some pedons have a stone line or thin layer, 2 to 13 centimeters thick of gravelly and sandy materials at the base of the silty or loamy sediments
Ap horizon:
Hue--10YR or is neutral
Value--2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma--0 or 1
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--20 to 30 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to neutral (5.1 to 7.3)
A horizon:
Hue--10YR or is neutral
Value--2, 2.5, or 3
Chroma--0 or 1
Texture--silty clay loam
Clay content--27 to 35 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to neutral (5.1 to 7.3)
Bg horizon (when present):
Hue--2.5Y or 5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--1 or 2
Texture--silty clay loam or silt loam
Clay content--25 to 34 percent
Sand content--less than 15 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral (5.6 to 7.3)
2Bw horizon (when present):
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--2 to 8
Texture--loam or clay loam
Clay content--18 to 27 percent
Sand content--25 to 50 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 12 percent, igneous, metamorphic and dolomitic
Reaction--slightly acid to moderately alkaline (6.1 to 8.4)
2BC or 2C horizon (if present):
Hue--7.5YR to 5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--1 to 8
Texture--loam
Clay content--18 to 27 percent, mean of 22 percent
Sand content--35 to 50 percent, mean of 44 percent
Rock fragment content--2 to 12 percent, igneous, metamorphic and dolomitic
Moist bulk density--1.75 g/cc to 1.90 g/cc
Reaction--slightly acid to moderately alkaline (6.1 to 8.4)
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Chalmers,
Chetomba,
Dolbee,
Drummer,
Dunham,
Elpaso,
Elvira,
Garwin,
Gillett Grove,
Hartsburg,
Madelia,
Marcus,
Mascoutah,
Maxcreek,
Maxmore,
Ossian,
Patton,
Pella,
Rushmore,
Sable, and
Wacousta series.
Chalmers--have clay content of 12 to 18 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Chetomba--have carbonates within a depth of 102 centimeters
Dolbee--does not have rock fragments in the series control section
Drummer--are stratified with a sand content of 15 to 80 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Dunham--have a sand content of 75 to 98 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Elpaso--have a sand content of 2 to 45 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Elvira--does not have rock fragments in the series control section
Garwin--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Gillett Grove--have a moist bulk density range of 1.6 to 1.8 g/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Hartsburg--have carbonates within a depth of 90 centimeters
Madelia--have carbonates within a depth of 100 centimeters
Marcus--have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Mascoutah--have a sand content of less than 7 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Maxcreek--have a moist bulk density of 1.5 to 1.7 g/cc in the lower third of the series control section
Maxmore-- have a sand content of less than 15 percent in the upper two thirds of the series control section
Ossian--have a sand content of 0 to 15 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Patton--are stratified with a sand content of 7 to 25 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Pella--have carbonates within a depth of 100 centimeters
Rushmore--have carbonates within a depth of 90 centimeters
Sable--have a sand content of less than 8 percent in the lower third of the series control section
Wacousta--have carbonates within a depth of 50 centimeters
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--60 to 102 centimeters of loess and underlying glacial till
Landform--interfluves and on head slopes of broad, shallow drainageways on dissected till plains
Slope--0 to 2 percent
Elevation--190 to 420 meters above mean sea level
Mean annual air temperature--7 to 10 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--800 to 960 millimeters
Frost-free period--140 to 170 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Dinsdale,
Franklin, and
Klinger soils.
Dinsdale--are at higher landscape positions on convex ridges and side slopes and have a frequently saturated zone at a depth of 1 meter during the wettest periods of normal years
Franklin--are at slightly higher landscape positions on interfluves, on head slopes, and on slightly convex side slopes and have an argillic horizon
Klinger--are at slightly higher landscape positions on interfluves and slightly convex side slopes and have a frequently saturated zone at a depth of 0.3 meter during the wettest periods of normal years
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--poorly drained--these soils are frequently saturated at the soil surface during the wettest portions of normal years, both perched and apparent saturation can occur on this soil based on precipitation frequency and intensity during a given period of time
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--1.00 to 10.00 micrometers per second (moderately high) in the loess and 0.01 to 1.00 micrometers per second (low or moderately low) in the underlying glacial till
Surface runoff potential--negligible or very low
USE AND VEGETATION:
Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, soybeans, small grains, and legume hay. The native vegetative cover is a herbaceous wetland community commonly inhabited with Bluejoint Grasses, Fowl Bluegrasses, Green Muhlies, Fox Sedges, Field Sedges, Dudleys Rushes, Torreys Rushes, Swamp Milkweeds, False Sneezeweeds, False Asters, New England Asters, White Panicled Asters, and Wild Mints.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic section--Dissected till plains
MLRA--Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (104)
LRR M; northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota
Extent--large
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Bremer County, Iowa, 1965.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters (Ap, A, Bg, and 2Bw1 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters (Ap, A, Bg, 2Bw1, 2Bw2, and 2BC1 horizons);
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
mollic epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 48 centimeters (Ap and A horizons);
cambic horizon--the zone from a depth of 48 to 203 centimeters (Bg, 2Bw1, 2Bw2, 2BC1, and 2BC2 horizons);
aquic suborder--2.5Y 4/2 color of matrix with redoximorphic concentrations in the zone from a depth of 48 to 74 centimeters (Bg horizon).
The particle-size class is bordering fine-loamy and is dependent on the depth to glacial till
Some pedons have vertical seams or wedges of sand or loamy sand about 5 to 15 centimeters wide and about 0.9 to 1.2 meters deep extending downward from the stone line into the glacial till.
Cation-exchange activity class is inferred from lab data from similar soils in the surrounding area.
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, twelfth edition, 2014.
OSD Typical Pedon--Pedon Number 2004IA017102.
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.