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® Ontario ontario institute of pedology - Agriculture and Agri-Food ...

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(c) The following are not considered : distances to market, kind <strong>of</strong> roads, location or size <strong>of</strong>farms, type <strong>of</strong> ownership, cultural patterns, skills or resources <strong>of</strong> individual operators, <strong>and</strong>hazard <strong>of</strong> crop damage by storm .(d)(e)The classification includes capabilities <strong>of</strong> soils for common field crops such as forage crops<strong>and</strong> small grains. It does not include capabilities for other special crops, such as canola orpotatoes, or for horticultural crops.Capability classes are subject to change, as new information on the properties, behaviour<strong>and</strong> responses <strong>of</strong> soils becomes available . In some cases, technological advances may alsonecessitate changes.(2) Capability classification for organic soilsThe previous discussion on soil capability classification applies only to mineral soils, <strong>and</strong>cannot be used for organic soils . A separate capability system has been devised for organic soils,using seven capability classes that are determined according to the following soil characteristics :stage <strong>of</strong> decomposition (K), reaction (F), climate (C), substratum texture, wood content (L) <strong>and</strong>depth <strong>of</strong> organic soil (H) . Definitions <strong>of</strong> these soil characteristics, <strong>and</strong> how they are used todetermine organic soil capability classes, are discussed by H<strong>of</strong>fman <strong>and</strong> Acton (15). In thisclassification system, intensive horticultural use is assumed, e.g. vegetable production.Capability ClassesClass 1 - Organic soils <strong>of</strong> this class have no water, topographical or pH limitations, <strong>and</strong> aredeep <strong>and</strong> level .Class 2 - Organic soils in Class 2 have one limitation that restricts their use in a minor way.The limitation may be woodiness, reaction, flooding, topography, depth or climate.Class 3 - Organic soils in this class have moderately severe limitations that restrict therange <strong>of</strong> crops, or that require special management practices .Class 4 - Soils in this class have limitations that severely restrict the range <strong>of</strong> crops, orrequire special development <strong>and</strong> management practices. Reclamation <strong>and</strong> management costs willbe high .Class 5 -- ;Soils <strong>of</strong> this class have such severe limitations that they are restricted to theproduction <strong>of</strong> perennial forage or other specially adapted crops. Large scale reclamation is notfeasible.Class 6 - Class 6 organic soils are capable <strong>of</strong> producing only indigenous crops, <strong>and</strong>improvement practices are, ff:ot feasible.Class 7 - Organic soils <strong>of</strong> this class have no capability for agriculture .Development <strong>of</strong> organic soils for agricultural use also depends on the feasibility <strong>of</strong> clearingvegetation, drainage <strong>and</strong> water level control (15) . These are site-specific factors that are notconsidered for the general organic soil capabilities .The agricultural capability <strong>of</strong> soils <strong>of</strong> the Ville-Marie map sheet area, is shown in Table 7.

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