The Soils of Brant County - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

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Soil Moisture Characteristics Scotland soils are welldrainedand rapidly permeable. They have low water-holdingcapacity and slow surface runoff where the topography isgently undulating . On topography where slopes exceed 6°10,runoff is moderate.Commonly Associated Soils Oakland (OKL), Waterin(WRN), Wilsonville (WIL) and Fox (FOX) soils are often associatesof Scotland soils in map units STD 2, STD 8, STD 4 andSTD 6 map units, respectively. Oakland soils have developedon similar parent material to,Scotland soils, but are imperfectlydrained . Waterin soils are poorly drained and occur ondeep (greater than 1 m) sandy materials . Wilsonville soilsoccur where the sandy veneer becomes progressively thinnerand the gravelly loam glacial till dominates the soil profile. Foxsoils are rapidly drained like Scotland soils, but occur on deepsandy-textured deposits in the landscape .Land Use and Management Scotland soils are fairlygood soils for general field crops such as grain corn and soybeansfor which they have droughtiness limitations . Theirgreatest value for agricultural use is for specialty crops such astobacco where supplemental irrigation is provided . They arebeing used increasingly for crops such as ginseng in recentyears . Vegetable crops, including potatoes, asparagus, tomatoesand peppers also are produced commercially on Scotlandsoils .Seneca Soils (SNA)General Soil Description Seneca soils have developed onloam to gravelly loam textured glacial till . They are welldrained.Surface Ap horizons ofSeneca soils are about 15 cm thickand usually loam or silt loam in texture with minor amounts ofgravel present . The organic matter contents ofthe surface horizons are low, averaging around 2% . The underlying Bt and Ckhorizons contain slightly higher amounts of gravel with usualtextures of gravelly loam . In most cases, the soil profile is relativelyshallow, with Ck horizons occurring at a depth of 40 to50 cm . They can be very strongly calcareous . In fact, it is notuncommon to have carbonates present in all horizons of thesoil profile . Soil reaction is near neutral in the surface horizonto moderately alkaline in the subsoil . Soil classification is usuallyBrunisolic Gray Brown Luvisol .Soil Moisture Characteristics Seneca soils are welldrainedand rapidly permeable. They have medium waterholdingcapacities . Surface runoff from Seneca soils ismoderate to rapid, as they generally occur on slopingtopography.Commonly Associated Soils Seneca soils are mappedonly in pure map units, as they tend to occur in discretedrumlinized landforms in Brant County. Clayey-texturedHaldimand soils normally occur around the base of thedrumlins .Land Use and Management Seneca soils are good agriculturalsoils, well-suited to general field crops such as corn,small grains and forages . Careful conservation managementpractices are required to control erosion on sloping topography,where past erosion has often been severe . Moderate stoninesscanbe a limitationin the use ofSeneca soils .Smithville Soils (SHV)General Soil Description Smithville soils have developedon silty clay and heavy clay glaciolacustrine materials .They are moderately well-drained .Surface horizons of Smithville soils consist of 15 to 20 cmof silty clayloam . Under cultivated conditions, they are moderatelylow in organic matter content . The subsurface B horizonsof Smithville soils are silty clay to heavy clay in texture withprismatic to angular blocky structure. Distinct mottles aresometimes apparent in the upper portion of the B horizons,indicative of temporary perched water table conditions . Thelower B horizons and Ck horizons of Smithville soils show evidenceof horizontal layering characteristic of deep-water glaciolacustrinedeposits, and consist of alternating layers ofheavy clay and silty clay. The Ck horizons, which are stronglycalcareous, occur at a depth of approximately 50 to 55 cm . Soilreaction ofSmithville soils ranges from strongly acidic to neutralin the surface horizons, to moderately alkaline in the subsoil. Soil classification is usually Brunisolic Gray BrownLuvisol .Soil Moisture Characteristics Smithville soils are moderatelywell-drained and slowly permeable. Groundwater ispresent in the upper subsoil horizons for short periods duringthe growing season due to the low permeability of the subsoil .Smithville soils have high water-holding capacities, but may bedroughty during prolonged dry periods due to slow moisturerelease by the clay. Surface runoff is rapid .Commonly Associated Soils Smithville soils are commonlyassociated with Haldimand (HIM), Lincoln (LIC),Bookton (BOO) and Alluvial soils (4-ALU) in map units SHV4, SHV 5, SHV 7 and SHV 21, respectively. Haldimand andLincoln soils have similar parent material to Smithville soils,but are imperfect and poorly drained . Bookton soils are welldrained,but differ in having 40 to 100 cm of sandy texturesoverlying the clayey material characteristic of Smithville soils .Alluvial soils occur along the floodplains of present-daystream valleys, with Smithville soils occupying the steep valleyslopes in map unit SHV 21 .LandUse and Management Smithville soils are fair soilsfor agricultural use. Their main limitation is related to theirhigh clay content which contributes to extremely hard anddense soil structure. Soil erosion can be severe on slopingtopography. Grain corn, soybeans, winter wheat and hay cropsare produced on Smithville soils .Stayner Soils (STN)General Soil Description Stayner soils have developedon organic materials 40 to 100 cm thick over sandy textures oflacustrine or fluvial origin . They are very poorly drained .The organic horizons are comprised of well-decomposedorganic matter extending to an approximate depth of 60 cm .The underlying mineral material is usually sand-textured andis calcareous. Soil classification of Stayner soils is usually TerricHumisol .Soil Moisture Characteristics Stayner soils are verypoorly drained . They are rapidly permeable but are saturatedwith groundwater almost continuously, unless artificiallydrained . They have high water-holding capacities and veryslow surface runoff.
Commonly Associated Soils Ayr (AYR) soils are mostcommonly associated with Stayner soils as subdominant componentsin map unit STN 2 . Ayr soils are poorly drained, andalso differ from Stayner soils in having less than 40 cm oforganic materials overlying sandy and gravelly-texturedsubsoil .LandUse and Management Stayner soils, to a very largeextent, presently remain under swamp forest vegetation . Theywould require extensive clearing and drainage to be of any agriculturaluse, and the advisability of this is questionable.Styx Soils (SYX)General Soil Description Styx soils have developed onorganic materials greater than 160 cm in depth . They are verypoorly drained . The organic horizons are all well-decomposedand are relatively uniform with depth . In the lower horizons,there is a slight increase in undecomposed plant remains, mostcommonly woody material . Soil classification is usually TypicHumisol .Soil Moisture Characteristics Styx soils are very poorlydrained . They are rapidly permeable, but are saturated withgroundwater for most of the year unless artificially drained .They have high water-holding capacities and have very slowsurface runoff.Commonly Associated Soils Granby (GNY) and Colwood(CWO) soils are most commonly associated with Styxsoils as subdominant components in map units SYX 3 andSYX 4, respectively. They differ from Styx soils in beingpoorlydrained, and consisting of shallow organic layers less than 40cm in thickness overlying mineral materials. The mineralmaterials in Granby soils are lacustrine sand or loamy sand,whereasthey are lacustrine silt loam in Colwood soils .Land Use and Management Styx soils remain largelyunder swamp forest vegetation . If cleared and drained, theyhave some potential for vegetable production, but this is generally not considered advisable from an environmentalperspective .TeeswaterSoils (TEW)General Soil Description Teeswater soils have developedon silt loam or loam textures 40 to 100 cm deep overlying gravellysand orgravel . They are well-drained .Surface horizons of Teeswater soils are usually around 20cm in depth and loam or silt loam in texture. They have moderateorganic matter contents ranging from 3 to 4% . The underlying brownish-colouredBm horizons extend to depths of 35 to45 cm . They are typically silt loam in texture. Distinctive darkbrownBt horizons with pronounced increases in clay contentoccur at the contact with the gravelly subsoil . They range fromloam to clay loam in texture and have a low gravel content . Thetransition to gravelly Ck horizons is abrupt, occurring atdepths of50 to 75 cm . They are usually gravelly loamy sand intexture and are strongly calcareous . Soil reaction of Teeswatersoils ranges from slightly acidic to neutral in the surface horizons,to moderately alkaline in the gravelly subsoil layers . Soilclassification is Brunisolic Gray Brown Luvisol .Soil Moisture Characteristics Teeswater soils are welldrained. They are only moderately permeable in the loamytexturedsurface horizons, but are rapidly permeable in thegravelly subsoil . Similarly, the moisture-holding capacity ofthe surficial materials is moderate, and is enhanced considerablyby the large increase in clay in the Bt horizon . The gravellysubsoil has a low moisture-holding capacity. Surface runofffrom Teeswater soils can be moderate to high, the latter occurringon sloping topography.Commonly Associated Soils The most commonlyoccurring associates of Teeswater soils include Colwood(CWO), Burford (BUF) and Fox (FOX) soils in map unitsTEW 3, TEW 4 and TEW 5, respectively. Colwood soils arepoorly drained and occur on deep silt loam materials . Burfordsoils are rapidly drained and consist largely of gravellytexturedmaterials . Fox soils, likewise, are rapidly drained andare formed on deep sandy textured soil materials .Land Use and Management Teeswater soils are verygood soils for agricultural use. Theyhave no significant limitationswhich affect or limit use, except on complex topographywhere slopes exceed 3 070 . Careful management to prevent erosionon sloping topography is essential . Teeswater soils areused extensively for common agricultural crops such as graincorn and forage crops . Specialty crops such as tobacco andpotatoes are relatively common on these soils where supplementalirrigation is available.Toledo Soils (TLD)General Soil Description Toledo soils have developed onglaciolacustrine sediments of silty clay loam or silty clay textures. They are poorly drained .Surface horizons of Toledo soils usually consist of about20 cm of silty clay loam, with loam textures sometimes occurring. Theyare generally high in organic matter. The underlyingBg horizons are gleyed and strongly mottled . They are usuallysomewhat heavier in texture than the surface horizons, rangingfrom clay loam to silty clay. The calcareous Ckg horizons areencountered at a depth between 40 and 50 cm . They are siltyclay loam or silty clay in texture and strongly calcareous . Soilreaction of Toledo soils ranges from near neutral in the surfacehorizons to moderately alkaline in the subsoil . Soil classificationis usually OrthicHumic Gleysol .Soil Moisture Characteristics Toledo soils are poorlydrained . Occasionally, peaty phase Toledo soils occur whichare very poorly drained . They usually are slowly permeable.Because of their high clay content, surface cracking is commonduring prolonged dry conditions, and short-lived moderatepermeability may occur. Groundwater levels are near the surfaceexcept for short periods during the summer when theysubside, or if the soil is artificially drained . Toledo soils havehigh water-holding capacities. Surface runoff is usually moderate,but increases substantially ifthere is significant slope .Commonly Associated Soils Beverly (BVY) soils are themost common associates of Toledo soils, occurring as the subdominantcomponent in the TLD 7 map unit . They have similar parent material as Toledo soils but are imperfectly drained .Land Use and Management Toledo soils are fair soils foragricultural use. Their relatively high clay contents and tendencyto develop massive subsoil structure creates problemswith slow drainage . They require artificial drainage for successfulproduction of common field crops . Grain corn, soybeansand spring grain are grown on drained Toledo soils .
Page 1 and 2: The Soils ofBrant CountyVolume 1Ont
Page 3 and 4: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . .
Page 5 and 6: The soil survey, data collection, a
Page 7 and 8: GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THEAREALocat
Page 10 and 11: DevonianBois Blanc Formation : grey
Page 12 and 13: DrumlinAbandoned shorelineMeltwater
Page 14 and 15: Fox SoilsIWilsonville and Scotland
Page 16 and 17: Figure 10 .Main streams and tributa
Page 18 and 19: Table 5 .Climatic data forBrantford
Page 20 and 21: Ah horizon(dark brown or black)- Bm
Page 22 and 23: Table6. Soil families ofBrant Count
Page 24 and 25: GENERAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SOILSSO
Page 26 and 27: Soil DescriptionsGeneralized descri
Page 28 and 29: Soil Moisture Characteristics Brady
Page 30 and 31: Soil Moisture Characteristics Camil
Page 32 and 33: Soil Moisture Characteristics Goble
Page 34 and 35: are strongly calcareous . Soilreact
Page 38 and 39: Tuscola Soils (TUC)General Soil Des
Page 40 and 41: dark-brown colour . The Ck horizons
Page 42 and 43: Table7. Mean horizon values of Bran
Page 44 and 45: Table 7 . Mean horizon values of Br
Page 47 and 48: Procedure for Using Tables for Soil
Page 49 and 50: Table 10 . Agricultural suitability
Page 55 and 56: Table 11 . K-values, Erodbility cla
Page 57 and 58: Table 11 . K-values, erodibility cl
Page 59 and 60: Table 12.Guidelines for establishin
Page 61 and 62: 1 . Johnson, C .M.,1967 . Brant Cou

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