LOCATION SARGEANT MN+WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Glossudalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Sargeant silt loam, on a linear slope of 1 percent, in a cultivated field, at an elevation of about 360 meters (about 1,180 feet) above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise noted.)
Ap--0 to 18 centimeters (0 to 7 inches); very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) dry; moderate very fine granular structure; friable; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. [15 to 23 centimeters (6 to 9 inches) thick]
E--18 to 33 centimeters (7 to 13 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; moderate thin platy structure; common fine pores; common coarse faint yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) masses of iron accumulations; slightly acid; clear irregular boundary. [2 to 20 centimeters (1 to 8 inches) thick]
E/B--33 to 48 centimeters (13 to 19 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam (E); weak thin platy structure; friable; many coarse distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; surrounds remnants of brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam (Bt); moderate fine subangular blocky structure; friable; many fine pores; common light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt coats on faces of peds; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.
B/E--48 to 64 centimeters (19 to 25 inches); brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam (Bt); moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; few dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) clay films in ped interiors; many light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silt coats on faces of peds; penetrated by tongues of grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam (E); moderate fine subangular blocky; friable; common fine pores; many medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. ([The glossic horizon ranges from 13 to 30 centimeters (5 to 12 inches) thick]
2Bt1--64 to 71 centimeters (25 to 28 inches); brown (10YR 5/3) loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; friable; many fine pores; common distinct dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) clay films on pores in ped interiors; many light gray (10YR 7/2) silt and sand coats on faces of peds; about 10 percent gravel; few medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulations; strongly acid; clear irregular boundary.
2Bt2--71 to 102 centimeters (28 to 40 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) loam; strong medium prismatic structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; firm; few fine pores; common distinct brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; many light gray (10YR 7/2) silt and sand coats on faces of peds; about 4 percent gravel; common medium faint grayish brown (10YR 5/2) masses of iron depletions; strongly acid; clear wavy boundary.
2Bt3--102 to 140 centimeters (40 to 55 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; strong medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; common distinct brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; common light gray (10YR 7/2) silt and sand coats on faces of peds; about 4 percent gravel; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) masses of iron depletions; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary.
2Bt4--140 to 191 centimeters (55 to 75 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) sandy clay loam; strong medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; firm; few distinct brown (7.5YR 4/3) clay films on faces of peds; about 4 percent gravel; common medium distinct grayish brown (10YR 5/2) masses of iron depletions; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. [Combined thickness of 2Bt horizons is 50 to 127 centimeters (20 to 50 inches).]
2BC--191 to 203 centimeters (75 to 80 inches); yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) sandy clay loam; weak coarse prismatic structure; very firm; about 4 percent gravel; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 104 - Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies; Rice County, Minnesota subset; about 1 mile southwest of Nerstrand; about 490 meters (1,610 feet) west and 97 meters (320 feet) north of the southeast corner of section 15, T. 110 N., R. 19 W.; USGS Nerstrand quadrangle; lat. 44 degrees 19 minutes 41 seconds N. and long. 93 degrees 5 minutes 13 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to glacial till--30 to 66 centimeters (12 to 26 inches)
Depth to carbonates--102 to more than 203 centimeters (40 to more than 80 inches)
Content of clay in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--20 to 28 percent
Content of sand in the particle-size control section (weighted average)--25 to 45 percent
Special feature--some pedons have a stone line or thin layer, 2 to 13 centimeters (1 to 5 inches) thick of gravelly and sandy materials at the base of the silty or loamy sediments
Ap or A horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--silt loam or loam
Clay content--15 to 27 percent
Sand content--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--moderately acid to neutral
Uncultivated areas have an A horizon from 1 to 5 inches in thickness.
E and E part of E/B or B/E horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--1 to 3
Texture--silt loam or loam
Clay content--15 to 25 percent
Sand content--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--strongly acid or slightly acid
In some cultivated areas the E horizon has been mixed into the Ap horizon
Bt (when present) and Bt part of E/B or B/E horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 or 4
Texture--silt loam, silty clay loam or loam
Clay content--22 to 32 percent
Sand content--5 to 30 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
2Bt horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 or 5
Chroma--3 to 6
Texture--loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content--20 to 28 percent
Sand content--25 to 50 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
Rock fragment content--2 to 15 percent
2BC horizon:
Hue--10YR or 2.5Y
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--4 to 8
Texture--loam, clay loam, or sandy clay loam
Clay content--18 to 28 percent, mean of 22 percent
Sand content--35 to 50 percent, mean of 44 percent
Reaction--slightly acid to moderately alkaline
Rock fragment content--2 to 12 percent
Moist bulk density--1.75 to 1.90 g/cc
COMPETING SERIES: This is the
Vlasaty series.
Vlasaty--have a frequently saturated zone within depths of 0.75 meters (2.5 feet) in normal years
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--30 to 66 centimeters (12 to 26 inches) of loess or loamy sediments and the underlying glacial till
Landform--interfluves and long side slopes on dissected till plains
Slopes--0 to 6 percent
Elevation--305 to 427 meters (1,000 to 1,400 feet) above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--7 to 10 degrees C (45 to 50 degrees F)
Mean annual precipitation--710 to 870 millimeters (28 to 34 inches)
Frost-free period--150 to 180 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are
Brownsdale and
Vlasaty soils. Brownsdale--are at lower elevations in flat to concave drainageways and have a frequently saturated zone within a depth of 0.3 meter (1 foot) in normal years
Vlasaty--are at slightly higher elevations on side slopes and have a frequently saturated zone within depths of 0.75 meters (2.5 feet) in normal years
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--somewhat poorly drained--a frequently saturated zone occurs within depths of 0.5 to 0.9 meter (1.5 to 3 feet) during April to June in normal years and both perched and apparent saturation can occur on this soil based on the season and intensity of rainfall during a given period of time
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--moderately high in the silty or loamy sediments and low or moderately low in the glacial till
Surface runoff potential--negligible to low
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, small grains, soybeans, and hay. Native vegetation was deciduous forest.
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; southeast Minnesota and west central Wisconsin
Extent--moderate
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Mower County, Minnesota, 1949.
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 48 to 99 centimeters (19 to 39 inches) (B/E, 2Bt1, and 2Bt2 horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 150 centimeters (0 to 59 inches) (Ap, E, E/B, B/E, 2Bt1, 2Bt2, 2Bt3, and 2Bt4 horizons).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon:
ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 33 centimeters (0 to 13 inches) (Ap and E horizons);
glossic horizon--the zone from a depth of 33 to 64 centimeters (13 to 25 inches) (E/B and B/E horizons) argillic horizon--the zone from a depth of 48 to 191 centimeters (19 to 75 inches) (B/E, 2Bt1,2Bt2, 2Bt3, and 2Bt4 horizons);
udic moisture regime.
Some pedons have vertical seams or wedges of sand or loamy sand about 5 to 30 centimeters (2 to 12 inches) wide and about 0.9 to 1.2 meters (3 to 4 feet) 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, ninth edition, 2003.
The change to bulk density of 1.75 to 1.90 g/cc and low to moderately low saturated hydraulic conductivity was based on field and lab data and supported by the MLRA-104 steering committee.
The need for this in the western part of the MLRA-104 is questioned. Further field investigations are needed to see if the series concept is valid in the eastern part of the MLRA in the future. The glossic horizon is in question as to the extent in the MLRA. If the glossic horizon is not typical, this series competes with the Oran series. This series may become inactive in the future.