LOCATION HOMEN ILEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Oxyaquic Hapludalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Homen silt loam - gently sloping, in a cultivated field at an elevation of about 560 feet above sea level. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) silt loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; moderate fine granular structure; friable; many very fine and fine roots; few fine constricted tubular pores; few fine rounded black (N 2.5/0) iron-manganese concretions; about 23 percent clay; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick)
E--9 to 15 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silt loam, light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) dry; weak medium platy structure parting to moderate medium granular; friable; common very fine and fine roots; few fine continuous tubular pores; few fine rounded black (N 2.5/0) masses of iron-manganese concretions; about 25 percent clay; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt--15 to 22 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common very fine and fine roots; common fine and medium constricted tubular pores; common prominent very pale brown (10YR 7/3, dry) clay depletions on faces of peds; common distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds; few fine and medium rounded black (N 2.5/0) iron-manganese concretions; about 29 percent clay; very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bt/E--22 to 28 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam (Bt part); moderate fine and medium subangular blocky structure; firm; common fine roots along vertical ped faces; many distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) clay films on faces of peds; few fine and medium rounded black (N 2.5/0) iron-manganese concretions; many prominent very pale brown (10YR 7/3,dry) clay depletions on faces of peds and filling vertical interstices between peds (E part); very strongly acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (3 to 10 inches thick)
B't1--28 to 37 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; common very fine roots throughout; common prominent very pale brown (10YR 7/3,dry) clay depletions on faces of peds; many prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few medium irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) masses of iron-manganese accumulations with clear strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) boundaries; about 32 percent clay; very strongly acid; clear smooth boundary.
B't2--37 to 48 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; weak medium prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; firm; common very fine roots throughout; few prominent very pale brown (10YR 7/3,dry) clay depletions on faces of peds; common distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions and common medium distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few medium irregular dark brown (7.5YR 3/4) masses of iron-manganese accumulation with clear strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) boundaries; about 30 percent clay; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
B't3--48 to 58 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) silty clay loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common very fine roots throughout; few very fine constricted tubular pores; few distinct dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common fine distinct light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) iron depletions and few fine distinct yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few medium irregular very dark brown (7.5YR 2.5/2) masses of iron-manganese accumulation with clear strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) boundaries; about 28 percent clay; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the B't horizon is 22 to 35 inches.)
2BC--58 to 66 inches; brown (7.5YR 5/4) silt loam, weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few very fine roots throughout; common very fine and fine constricted tubular pores; few fine distinct pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) iron depletions in the matrix; few medium irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) masses of iron-manganese accumulation; about 26 percent clay and 10 percent sand; moderately acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 10 inches thick)
2C--66 to 80 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/4) silt loam; massive with few diagonal cleavage planes; friable; few very fine roots throughout; common fine and medium constricted tubular pores; few prominent black (N 2.5/0) iron-manganese coatings lining root channels and pores; few fine distinct pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) iron depletions and common fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in the matrix; few fine irregular black (7.5YR 2.5/1) and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron-manganese accumulation; about 24 percent clay and 12 percent sand; slightly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Randolph County, Illinois; about 4 miles south of Coulterville; approximately 714 feet south and 45 feet east of the center of sec. 1, T. 5 S., R. 5 W.; USGS PERCY, IL. topographic quadrangle; lat. 38 degrees 07 minutes, 23 seconds N. and long. 89 degrees 36 minutes 05 seconds W.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to the base of the argillic horizon is 40 inches to 80 inches. Loess thickness is 40 to 80 inches. The particle-size control section averages 27 to 35 percent clay and less than 7 percent sand. At least some part of the series control section above a depth of 60 inches is moderately acid or less acid.
The upper part of the control section is as follows: The Ap horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 (6 or 7 dry), and chroma of 2 or 3. In undisturbed areas the A horizon has value of 3 (5 or 6 dry), and chroma of 1 or 2. Clay content is 18 to 27 percent and sand content is less than 7 percent. Reaction is moderately acid to neutral, depending on the liming history.
The E horizon has hue of 10YR, value of 4 or 5 and chroma of 2 to 4. Clay content is 15 to 27 percent. Reaction is very strongly acid to slightly acid.
Some pedons have an EB or a BE horizon.
The second part of the control section (Bt) has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. When the soil is dry, common gray to white clay depletions are on faces of peds in the E and Bt horizons. It is silty clay loam. Clay content is 27 to 35 percent. Reaction is commonly very strongly acid to moderately acid.
The third part of the control section (Bt/E and B't) has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 6. The Bt/E and the upper part of the B't horizon have gray, light brownish gray, light gray, very pale brown, or white clay depletions on faces of peds and filling interstices of the Bt/E horizon. It is silty clay loam in the upper part and is silty clay loam or silt loam in the lower part. Clay content is 27 to 35 percent in the upper part and is 24 to 32 percent in the lower part. Redoximorphic iron depletions are in the lower part, above a depth of 40 inches. Reaction is commonly very strongly acid or strongly acid, but ranges to moderately acid.
Some pedons have a BC horizon.
The lower part of the control section (2BC, 2C) has hue of 7.5YR, 10YR, or 2.5Y; value of 4 to 6; and chroma of 1 to 4. Clay content is 15 to 27 percent and sand content is 10 to 15 percent. Reaction is strongly acid to slightly acid.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ashburn(T), Birkbeck, Downsouth, Elco, Eleroy, Epley, Gallipolis, Grays, Iona, Middletown, Redbud, Rend, Richview, Rocheport (T), Rockfield, Rozetta, St. Clarles, Stonehead, Sylvan, Throckmorton, Weddel, Westgate, Winfield, Wingate, and Wrengart series.
Ashburn, Eleroy, Rockeport, Stonehead, Weddel and Westgate soils have a paralithic contact in the series control section. Birkbeck, Grays, Iona, Rockfield, Sylvan and Wingate soils have carbonates in the lower part of the series control section. Downsouth, Richview and Throckmorton soils have a surface layer that is 7 to 9 inches thick with a chroma and value of 3 or less. Elco and Wrengart soils have rock fragments in the lower part of the series control section. Epley soils average more than 27 percent clay in the lower part of the series control section. Gallipois soils are strongly acid or more acid in all layers above a depth of 60 inches. Middletown and St. Charles soils average more than 15 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section. Redbud soils have some part of the argillic horizon within the middle part of the series control section (2Bt horizon) that has more than 35 percent clay. Rend soils have a horizon (Btx) with fragic soil properties. Rozetta soils have a mean annual soil temperature of less than 56 degrees F. Winfield soils average less than 10 percent sand in the lower part of the series control section.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Homen soils are on gently sloping to moderately sloping convex summits, shoulders, and backslopes of till plains. Slope ranges from 2 to 10 percent. These soils formed in loess, or in loess and the underlying silty pedisediment. Where this soil has formed entirely in loess, the lower loess is called Roxana silt. Mean annual temperature is 54 to 57 degrees F., mean annual precipitation is 36 to 40 inches, frost-free period is 170 to 200 days, and elevation is 350 to 800 feet above sea level.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Aviston, Bunkum, Marine, Oconee, Pierron, and Ruma soils.
The moderately well drained Aviston soils have a dark surface layer and are farther from the drainageways. The somewhat poorly drained Bunkum soils are on slopes of upland drainageways below the Homen soils. The somewhat poorly drained, fine-textured Marine soils are on less sloping summits. The somewhat poorly drained Oconee soils have a dark surface layer, are fine-textured, and are farther from the drainageways. The poorly drained, fine-textured Pierron soils are on nearly level interfluves or in slight depressions. The well drained Ruma soils are on convex slopes above the Homen soils.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; moderately slow permeability; and medium surface runoff. Depth to an intermittent perched high water table is 2.0 to 3.5 feet from December to April in most years.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas are cropped to corn, soybeans, and wheat. A few areas are pastured or wooded. Native vegetation is deciduous trees.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Southwestern Illinois. Extent is large, and mainly in MLRA(s) 108B and 114.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Randolph County, Illinois, 1997.
REMARKS: Homen soils were formerly included with the Hosmer series (Oxyaquic Fragiudalfs), the Muren series (Aquic Hapludalfs), and the Rozetta series (Oxyaquic Hapludalfs).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 15 inches (Ap and E horizons). Argillic horizon - the zone from approximately 15 to 58 inches (Bt, Bt/E, B't1, B't2, and B't3 horizons). Redoximorphic iron depletions - the zone from 28 to 80 inches (B't2, B't3, 2BC, and 2C horizons). Udic moisture regime.