LOCATION ORTELLO                 NE+KS

Established Series
Rev. DAV-GLM-RRH-JFH
06/2022

ORTELLO SERIES

The Ortello series consists of very deep, well drained soils on uplands and stream terraces. They formed in loamy and sandy eolian deposits derived from glacial deposits, alluvium, and residuum. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is moderately rapid. Slopes range from 0 to 30 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 660 millimeters and mean annual air temperature is 9 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Coarse-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Udic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Ortello fine sandy loam with a slope of 3 percent in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

Ap--0 to 15 centimeters; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; loose, very friable; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary.

A--15 to 30 centimeters; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak medium blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; neutral; clear wavy boundary.

AB--30 to 41 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sandy loam, dark brown (10YR 3/3) moist; weak medium blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizons is 20 to 50 centimeters.)

Bw--41 to 71 centimeters; brown (10YR 5/3) fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (20 to 36 centimeters thick)

BC--71 to 86 centimeters (28 to 34 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sandy loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; slightly hard, very friable; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (0 to 40 centimeters thick)

C--86 to 203 centimeters; very pale brown (10YR 7/3) loamy fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) moist; single grain; loose; slightly alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area 102C - Loess Uplands; Thurston County Nebraska Subset; about 3 miles south and 3 miles west of Emerson; 500 feet east and 200 feet south of the northwest corner, sec. 18, T. 26 N., R. 6 E. USGS Altona NE quadrangle; 42 degrees 14 minutes 5 degrees N; 96 degrees 46 minutes 59 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture control section: moist in some part from October through April; intermittently moist from May through July; driest in July through September. Ustic soil moisture regime.
Combined thickness of the A and B horizons: 60 to 125 centimeters
Mollic epipedon thickness: 20 to 50 centimeters
Depth to secondary carbonates: generally below a depth of 150 centimeters, except in the loamy substratum phase.
Rock Fragments: a few pebbles are scattered throughout the profile in some pedons.

A horizon:
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Texture: fine sandy loam, ranging to include loam, very fine sandy loam, sandy loam, and loamy fine sand
Reaction: medium acid or neutral.

B horizon:
Hue: 10YR or 7.5Y
Value: 4 to 6 dry, 3 to 5 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: fine sandy loam or sandy loam and commonly becomes coarser with depth.
Reaction is slightly acid or neutral.

C horizon:
Hue: 10YR, 7.5YR, or 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 2 to 4
Texture: loamy fine sand, ranging to include loamy sand, fine sandy loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, fine sand, and loamy coarse sand. The coarse textures are commonly in the lower part of the control section or deeper. Silt loam, loam or very fine sandy loam is below a depth of 100 centimeters in the loamy substratum phase.
Reaction: neutral or slightly alkaline.

COMPETING SERIES: This is the Henkin series.
Henkin - has free calcium carbonates between a depth of 45 and 150 centimeters.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material - loamy and sandy eolian deposits derived from glacial deposits, alluvium, and residuum.
Landform - uplands and stream terraces
Slope - 0 to 30 percent
Mean annual air temperature - 8 to 10 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation - 610 to 710 millimeters

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Ankeny, Anselmo, Blendon, Dickinson, Jayem, Loretto, Nora, Oneill, Thurman, Valentine, and Vebar soils.
Ankeny - are in the udic soil moisture regime and Cumulic subgroup.
Anselmo - are dry in years with normal precipitation in some part of their soil moisture control section for four-tenths or more of the cumulative days per year when the soil temperature at a depth of 50 centimeters is higher than 5 degrees C.
Blendon - are on the same or lower on the landscape and are in the Pachic subgroup.
Dickinson - are in the udic soil moisture regime.
Jayem - are dry in years with normal precipitation in some part of their soil moisture control section for six-tenths or more of the cumulative days per year when the soil temperature at a depth of 50 centimeters is higher than 5 degrees C.
Loretto - are lower on the landscape and in the fine-loamy particle-size class.
Nora - are on similar landscape positions and in the fine-silty particle-size class.
Oneill - has mixed sand and gravel between a depth of 50 and 100 centimeters and is in the coarse-loamy over sandy or sandy-skeletal particle-size class.
Thurman - are on similar landscape positions and in the sandy particle-size class.
Valentine - are on similar landscape positions and in the Psamments suborder.
Vebar - are dry in years with normal precipitation in some part of their soil moisture control section for four-tenths or more of the cumulative days per year when the soil temperature at a depth of 50 centimeters is higher than 5 degrees C., and are in the frigid soil temperature regime.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class - There are no seasonal zone of saturation, aquic conditions, or redoximorphic features within 183 centimeters (well drained).
Runoff - low to high depending on slope.
Saturated hydraulic conductivity - moderately rapid.

USE AND VEGETATION: Most of the acreage of these soils is used to grow corn and alfalfa. Small grains, soybeans, and sorghum are also grown. A few areas are in introduced or native grasses. The native vegetation is mid and tall grasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division: Interior Plains
Physiographic Provinces: Great Plains, Central Lowland
Physiographic Sections: High Plains, Plains Border, Dissected Till Plains, Osage Plains
Land Resource Regions: Central Great Plains Winter Wheat and Range Region (LRR H) and Central Feed Grains and Livestock Region (LRR M)
Major Land Resource Areas: Central Nebraska Loess Hills (MLRA 71),
Central Kansas Sandstone Hills (MLRA 74),
Central Loess Plains (MLRA 75),
Bluestem Hills (MLRA 76),
Loess Uplands (MLRA 102C), and
Nebraska and Kansas Loess-Drift Hills (MLRA 106).

The series is extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: St. Paul, Minnesota

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Nance County, Nebraska, 1958.

REMARKS: An imperfectly drained phase (having redoximorphic features as shallow as 91 centimeters) and a loamy substratum phase of the Ortello series have been correlated.

Diagnostic horizons and other features recognized in the typical pedon are: Mollic epipedon0 to 41 centimeters (Ap, A and AB horizons)
Cambic horizon--41 to 71 centimeters (Bw horizon)
Ustic soil moisture regime

---

National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.