Lesson 30: Soil Characteristics

Environmental Stewardship Assessment:

Do the soils on current land application sites present any specific environmental risks? This assessment tool will help you confidentially evaluate the environmental issues that relate to the soil characteristics of land application sites. For an assessment of site-related characteristics (e.g., slope, flooding potential, and location relative to surface water), see Lesson 33, Selecting Land Application Sites. To complete, identify the Field IDs for four fields by listing those IDs under each of the three risk levels. For each issue listed in the left column of the worksheet, read across to the right and check the statement that best describes conditions for each field listed. If any blanks do not apply, leave them blank. When this evaluation is completed for common manure application sites, use the information to:

  1. Select preferred land application sites;
  2. Identify higher risk application sites; and
  3. Determine sites requiring additional conservation management practices to offset the higher risks associated with soil characteristics.
This information should be considered as a manure utilization plan is assembled (see Lesson 31, Manure Utilization Plans).

Field ID:

1. Available water capacity (see Engineering Properties of Soil, County Soil Survey)
< 3 inches. Corresponding magnitude of risk
 
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

2. Caution exchange capacity
CEC is < 5. Corresponding magnitude of risk
 
CEC is between 5-15
CEC is > 15.

3. Rock fragments, stones, and boulders
> 3% of the surface is covered with stones and boulders. Corresponding magnitude of risk
 
Between 0.1-3% of the surface is covered with stones and boulders.
< 0.1 % of the surface is covered with stones and boulders.

4. Permeability rate for slowest rate within top 12 inches of soil (see Engineering Properties of Soil in County Soil Survey)

Perm rate < 0.2 inch/hr if manure is surface applied (surface water concern).
OR

Perm rate > 2 inches/hr (groundwater concern).

 Corresponding magnitude of risk
 
Perm rate of 0.2-2 inches/hr if manure is surface applied.
Any perm rate < 2, manure is injected or incorporated the same day.

5. Soil pH
pH is < 5 or > 8 Corresponding magnitude of risk
 
pH is between 5-6
pH is between 6-8.

6. Salinity
> 16 mmhos/cm Corresponding magnitude of risk
 
8-16 mmhos/cm
< 8 mmhos/cm

Reference: Agricultural Waste Management Field Handbook, Chapter 6, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.

 
Net Survey Score:
Magnitude of risk:

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