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

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 .