LOCATION LADYSMITH KSEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, mesic Udertic Argiustolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Ladysmith silty clay loam - cultivated. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Ap--0 to 9 inches(0 to 23 cm); dark gray (10YR 4/1) silty clay loam, black (10YR 2/1) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (6 to 14 inches (15 to 36 cm) thick)
Bt1--9 to 22 inches (23 to 56 cm); very dark gray (10YR 3/1) clay, black (10YR 2/1) moist; moderate medium blocky parting to weak very fine blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few lighter colored thin silty coats on some vertical ped faces; slightly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
Bt2--22 to 36 inches (56 to 91 cm); dark gray (10YR 4/1) clay, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; few very dark gray (10YR 3/1) vertical streaks in upper 6 inches and few fine brown (7.5YR 5/4) mottles in lower 4 inches; weak medium blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of Bt is 15 to 30 inches, 37 to 75 cm.)
BC--36 to 50 inches (91 to 125 cm); grayish brown (2.5Y 5/2) silty clay, dark grayish brown (2.5Y 4/2) moist; many coarse distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) mottles; weak medium blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very sticky and very plastic; few small lime concretions; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (4 to 20 inches, 10 to 50 cm, thick)
C--50 to 80 inches (125 to 203 cm); gray (10YR 6/1) silty clay loam, gray (10YR 5/1) moist; common medium distinct reddish brown (5YR 5/3) and yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) mottles; massive; very hard, firm, very sticky and very plastic; few small black concretions; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Morris County, Kansas; about 1 mile west of Delavan and 175 feet north of U.S. Highway 56; 1,640 feet west and 2,340 feet north of the southeast corner, section 13, T. 16 S., R. 5 E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: The mollic epipedon is 20 to 40 inches thick. A few lime concretions occur below depths of 30 inches in some pedons.
The A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 (dry) and 2 or 3 (moist)
Chroma: 1 or 2.
Texture: silt loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: moderately acid to neutral
Clay content in the boundary between the A and Bt horizons increases less than 15 percent (absolute) within a vertical distance of 1 inch but it does increase 15 to 19 percent (absolute) within a vertical distance of 3 inches.
The Bt horizon
Upper
Hue: 10YR
Value: 3 to 5 (dry) and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2 in the upper part and
Lower
Hue: 10YR or 2.5Y
Value: 4 or 5 (dry) and 3 or 4 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
The upper 6 inches or more of the Bt horizon has value of less than 2.5 moist, if the chroma is more than 1.5.
Texture: clay or silty clay with the clay content up to 60 percent.
Reaction: moderately acid to slightly alkaline in the upper part and neutral to moderately alkaline in the lower part. Redox features: Most pedons have reddish or brownish mottles in the lower part.
The C horizon
Hue: 10YR, 2.5Y, or 5Y
Value: 5 to 7 (dry) and 4 to 6 moist
Chroma: 1 to 3
Redox Features: Most pedons have reddish or brownish mottles.
Texture: silty clay, silty clay loam, or clay. More clayey or sandy soil material constituting an unconformity occur in some pedons at depths more than 40 inches.
Reaction: slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline.
COMPETING SERIES: There are no competing series in the same family. Previous competing series are the Crete, Detroit, Lane, Onita, Rago, and Smolan series. Crete soils have color values of more than 2.5 moist and chroma of more than 1.5 in the upper 6 inches of the Bt horizon and typically contain more free carbonates and are less mottled in the lower part of the sola and the substrata. Detroit soils have less than 15 percent clay increase (absolute) within a vertical distance of 3 inches of the upper boundary of the argillic horizon and typically are less mottled in the lower part of the solum and the substratum. In addition, Smolan soils have redder hue in the argillic horizon and Tully soils are more than 14 inches thick over clay or silty clay Bt horizons. Lane and Onita soils are colder, drier and have carbonates at shallower depths. Rago soils are drier and have more free carbonates and less mottling in the lower part of the solum and the substratum. Butler soils have an aquic moisture regime and an abrupt boundary between the A and Bt horizons. Dwight soils have a natric horizon. Irwin and Wymore soils have moist color value of more than 2.5 and chroma of more than 1.5 in the upper 6 inches of the Bt horizon. Tabler soils are thermic.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Ladysmith soils typically are on broad, nearly level erosional uplands and high stream terraces. Slope gradient typically is less than 2 percent and seldom exceeds 3 percent. These soils formed in fine textured sediments containing little sand presumed to be old alluvium. The mean annual precipitation ranges from about 28 to 35 inches and the Thornthwaite Annual PE Index ranges from 46 to 60. Mean annual temperature at the type location ranges from 54 to 59 degrees F.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Dwight, Irwin, and Tully soils and the Goessel and Labette soils. Dwight and Goessel soils occur on similar nearby landscapes. Dwight soils are in slightly concave positions. Irwin and Labette soils occur on adjacent slopes below Ladysmith soils. Tully soils occur on nearby colluvial foot slopes and are seldom directly adjacent to Ladysmith soils. Goessel soils have strong vertic properties. Labette soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Runoff is high. Permeability is very slow.
USE AND VEGETATION: Most soils are cultivated. Principal crops are wheat, sorghum, and alfalfa. Native vegetation is tall prairie grasses.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central and north-central Kansas. The series is extensive. Estimated extent is 300,000 acres.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Salina, Kansas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Clay County, Kansas, 1926.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are;
Mollic epipedon: the zone from the surface to a depth of 36 inches.
Argillic horizon: the zone from 9 inches to 36 inches.
Ladysmith soils are not considered to be saturated at any period for most years.
07/2003 Corrected a few typographical errors and added additional data.
ADDITIONAL DATA:
Kansas State University Soil Characterization Laboratory samples 2503-2508 (pedon 88KS061179).