The drought monitor report as of Tuesday June 9 shows some improvement with 38% of the state out of any dry conditions. Extreme drought is now down from 4.3 to 0.5% and severe/moderate drought also decreasing. Extreme northern Barton County is out of drought conditions. The recent precipitation, Tuesday and Wednesday, isn’t included here. The six to ten day forecast (June 16 to 20) indicates normal temperatures and 33 to 40% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation. The eight to 14-day forecast indicates (June 18 to 24) a 33 to 50% chance of leaning above normal for temperatures and a 33 to 40% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation. While great for our summer crops, the recent wet weather has caused a delay in the wheat harvest.

Last week’s column briefly discussed the soil forming factors and what they could tell you. This week, briefly, soil characteristics and what they indicate.

• Taking a vertical cross section down from the surface, the soil is broken down into horizons. The A horizon, topsoil, is where most plant root systems are and most biological activity is. It is the most developed soil horizon. Below it is typically the B, which is less developed and typically heavier, more clay often. Then the C horizon, which is often most like what the soil formed from. Finally, the R, the parent material, is typically what the soil formed from. There are variations, many variations.
• Soil texture is how the soil is defined and ranges from sand to silts to clay soils. The most productive soils exhibit fairly equal properties of sand, silt, and clay. These are loam soils. Here the A horizon is normally a silt loam north of the river and a sandy loam or loamy fine sand south. A soil map from the NRCS can tell you the texture or you can easily do it by feel. Clays provide water and nutrient holding capacity along with structure. Silts provide some of these properties and are formed from sand. Sands help provide macroporosity, aiding in water infiltration and movement. Knowing the texture and type of clay aids in a variety of decisions from irrigation to fertilization.
• Soil structure, determined by soil texture, organic matter content, plants, and disturbance or lack of by us. A crumbly structure is ideal for most crop and plant uses. Blocky is typical, especially for subsoil here. Massive or structureless is the poorest for many plant uses and creates problems with water infiltration and movement and root growth. We have a great deal of impact on soil structure.
• The easiest characteristic to determine is soil color. If the surface is dark or heading to almost black, it’s an indication of good humus content, soil organic matter. A lighter brown or mineral color here indicates the opposite. In the subsoil, a gray, slimy color indicates poor water movement, a lack of oxygen, and saturated conditions which is poor for many dicots such as alfalfa and soybeans. A reddish subsoil color indicates alternating saturated and oxygenated conditions, think rust. Finally, a whitish cast on bare soils indicates a higher salt content either from naturally occurring salts or fertilizer additions. It often indicates poor drainage.

Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207, or martinv@bartonccc.edu.