LOCATION VERDIGRE NEEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Verdigre loam, on a 4 percent west facing slope in a cultivated field. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 6 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate very fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable; common very fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A--6 to 10 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure parting to moderate very fine granular; slightly hard, friable; few very fine roots; slightly acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined A horizons are 7 to 20 inches thick)
Bt1--10 to 16 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure parting to moderate fine subangular blocky; hard, firm; few very fine roots; few discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; neutral; gradual wavy boundary.
Bt2--16 to 25 inches; pale brown (10YR 6/3) clay loam, dark brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak fine prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; hard, firm; few very fine roots; few discontinuous clay films on faces of peds; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (Combined Bt horizons are 10 to 20 inches thick.)
2BC--25 to 42 inches; light gray (2.5Y 7/2) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) silty clay, light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) moist; moderate coarse angular blocky structure parting to moderate medium angular blocky; very hard, very firm; few very fine roots; slight effervescence; many seams and pockets of soft carbonates; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary. (10 to 20 inches thick)
2C--42 to 56 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) and olive yellow (2.5Y 6/6) silty clay, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/6) moist; massive, very hard, very firm; few very fine roots; 2 to 5 percent by volume of shale channers; slight effervescence; many seams and pockets of soft carbonates; moderately alkaline; gradual wavy boundary.
2Cr--56 to 60 inches; light gray (5Y 7/2) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) bedded shale, light olive gray (5Y 6/2) and dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; very hard, very firm; slight effervescence; few seams and pockets of soft carbonates; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Knox County, Nebraska; about 3 miles west and 2 miles north of Verdigre; 700 feet south and 270 feet east of the northwest corner of sec. 36, T. 31 N., R. 7 W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon ranges from 7 to 20 inches in thickness. The depth to carbonates ranges from 18 to 35 inches. The solum ranges from 30 to 50 inches thick. Depth to bedded shale ranges from 40 to 60 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 (2 or 3 moist) and chroma of 2 or 3. It is dominantly loam or fine sandy loam but ranges to include sandy loam and silt loam. It ranges from medium acid to neutral.
The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 5 or 6 (4 or 5 moist) and chroma of 2 or 3. It is dominantly clay loam but the range includes silty clay loam and loam. Clay ranges from 20 to 35 percent. It ranges from medium acid to neutral.
The 2BC horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 5 through 7 (4 through 6 moist) and chroma of 1 through 6. It is silty clay or clay averaging between 45 and 60 percent clay. It ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline.
The 2C horizon has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 5 through 7 (4 through 6 moist) and chroma of 1 through 6. It is silty clay or clay and ranges from neutral to moderately alkaline. It contains 0 to 15 percent by volume of shale channers.
The 2Cr horizon is bedded shale. It has hue of 10YR through 5Y, value of 5 through 8 (4 through 7 moist) and chroma of 1 through 6. Accumulations of carbonates are in the upper part of the shale in most pedons. It is neutral to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Glenham, Gosper, Hennings (T), Houdek, Ree, Reventon, Wewela, and Wineg series in the same family. Glenham and Houdek soils formed in glacial till. In addition, Glenham soils have free carbonates within depths of 20 inches and Houdek soils have Bk horizons over 15 inches thick. Hennings soils have sandstone at depths of 40 and 60 inches. Gosper soils formed in alluvium and typically are shallower to free carbonates. Ree soils have Bk horizons over 10 inches thick. Reventon soils have free carbonates within a depth of 14 inches. Wewela soils have shale bedrock within a depth of 40 inches. Wineg soils are shallower to free carbonates and have less mean annual predication.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Verdigre soils are on upland divides and side slopes having plane or convex surfaces. The slope gradient ranges from 2 to 30 percent. These soils formed in loamy eolian material deposited on material weathered from clayey shales. The mean annual temperature ranges from 47 to 50 degrees F. and the mean annual precipitation ranges from 22 to 25 inches.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bazile, Crofton, Labu, Moody, Paka and Thurman soils. The Bazile, Crofton, Moody and Paka soils are fine-silty and are on uplands. Thurman soils have a sandy control section and are on uplands. Labu soils have bedded shale at depths of 20 to 40 inches and are on uplands.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderately slow in the loamy upper part of the subsoil and slow in the clayey lower part. Runoff is medium on the gently sloping to moderately steep soils and rapid on the steeply sloping soils.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used about equally for cropland and range. Corn, grain sorghum, oats and alfalfa are the principal crops. A few areas are irrigated by sprinkler systems. The native grasses are mainly big bluestem, little bluestem, needleandthread and blue grama.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northeast Nebraska and southeast South Dakota. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Knox County, Nebraska, 12/89.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon; Mollic epipedon - the zone from the surface of the soil to a depth of approximately 10 inches. (the Ap and A horizon) Argillic horizon - the zone from a depth of 10 inches to 25 inches (the Bt1 and Bt2 horizons) Carbonates in the 2B and 2C horizons are not considered to be translocated authigenic lime.
ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory data is available on pedon S88NE107-2-(1-7).