The drought monitor report as of Tuesday June 2 shows some improvement with 34% of the state out of any dry conditions. Extreme drought is now down from 13 to 4.3% and severe drought from 40 to 25%. Barton County moves from abnormally dry at the northern end to moderate to extreme drought as you move from north to severe drought south of the river. The recent precipitation isn’t included here. The six to ten day forecast (June 9 to 13) indicates a 60 to 70% chance of likely above normal for temperatures and 33 to 40% chance of leaning above normal for precipitation. The eight to 14-day forecast indicates (June 11 to 17) indicates a 40 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 had caused a delay in the wheat crop finishing and getting into the field.
Wheat harvest is waiting for drier conditions after a brutally dry late winter/early spring, and some are trying to plant their soybean and grain sorghum crops. While waiting, let’s visit something extremely important not only to agriculture but everyone. That something is the soil under your feet and what it tells you. Today, what exactly is soil?
Think of soil as a 3-D body on the landscape. While soil in its simplest form is defined by the sand, silt, and clay content, it’s so much more. A “soil” can also be considered as a living organism where flora and fauna interact with the each other; the mineral component and its chemical and structural composition; and the above ground environment. All these things work together and form an ecosystem which in turn affects what is happening above the soil and even the atmosphere. And all of this impacts all aspects of our lives directly and indirectly.
There is an equation defining soil formation. Soil formation f(P x C x B x LS x T). Briefly, P is the parent material, what the soil forms from. It may be formed in place like the limestone common in Western Kansas or brought is like the silt in NE Kansas or the sand south of the river here. It determines what the soil can possible become. C is climate, especially temperature, precipitation, and there variations. This determines the rates of physical and chemical weathering where larger particles break down into soil particles and where chemical changes in mineralogy and the chemical composition of the soil occur. It also determines the biota (B), the living organisms. For soils, the possible type of native vegetation is directly tied to climate (including fire). That’s why our native vegetation is mixed grass prairie here and deciduous forests in SE Kansas. LS is the topography or landscape position. Is it a floodplain, a north or south facing slope. Is the soil forming on the side slope or the top of a feature. Finally, time (T) or how long the soil has been forming. The length of time for soil formation is a function of the previous four factors. Dry, hot, or cold climates mean a longer time for soil formation, especially with parent material resistant to change. It determines how deep the soil is and what it’s chemical and physical properties are.
Next week, let’s describe “a soil” and what it tells us.
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.
