Grassland Evaluation Contest Study GuideFifth Edition: October 2005
Contest Score Cards

SOIL INTERPRETATION
STUDENT I.D. NO. _____ STUDENT NAME ______________ SCORE: _____ Points: 100
 
SOIL EVALUATION
(5 points each)
__________ 1. Surface Texture
A. Sand
B. Sandy loam
C. Loam or silt loam
D. Clay loam or silty clay loam
E. Clay or silty clay
 
__________ 2. Chert and gravel content of surface layer
A. <15% (no coarse fragment modifier such as sand, silt or clay
B. 15 - <35% cherty or gravelly
C. 35 - <60% very cherty or gravelly
D. >/= to 60% extremely cherty or extremely gravelly
 
__________ 3. Slope (between 50' stakes in field)
A. 0 - <2% nearly level
B. 2 - <5% gently sloping
C. 5 - <9% sloping
D. 9 - <14% strongly
E. 14 - <25% steep
F. >/= to 25% very steep
 
__________ 4. Depth of soil (or zone) limiting rooting depth
A. 40 - 60+ in. deep or very deep
C. 10 - <20 in. shallow
B. 20 - <40 in.
D. 0 - <10 in. very shallow
 
__________ 5. Drainage class
A. Very poorly drained
B. Poorly drained
C. Somewhat poorly drained
D. Moderately well drained
E. Well drained
F. Somewhat excessively drained
G. Excessively drained
 
__________ 6. Depth of surface layer (The A Horizons)
A. <3 inches
C. 7 - 10 inches
B. 3 - <7 inches
D. >10 inches
 
__________ 7. Permeability of most limiting layer or to 60 inches
Inches/HourClass
A. <0.06very slow
B. 0.06 - <0.2slow
C. 0.20 - <0.6moderately slow
D. 0.60- <2.0moderate
E. 2.00 - <6.0moderately rapid
F. 6.00 - <20.0rapid
G. >20.0very rapid
 
__________ 8. Available water capacity to most limiting layer (fragipan or bedrock) or to 60 inches.
A. 0 - <3 very low
B. 3 - <6 low
C. 6 - <9 moderate
D. 9 - <12 high
E. >/= to 12 very high
 
__________ 9. Land capability class
A. Class I
B. Class II
C. Class III
D. Class IV
E. Class V
F. Class VI
G. Class VII
H. Class VIII
 
__________ 10. Major factors, if any, that keep area out of Class I
A. s = stoniness, shallowness, droughtiness
B. w = wetness, and/or flooding
C. e = erosion
D. None
 
FORAGE ADAPTATION
(5 points each)
(check one space per answer)
ForageAdaptedNot Adapted
1. Alfalfa__________
2. Annual Lespedeza__________
3. White or Ladino Clover__________
4. Bermuda Grass__________
5. Caucasian Bluestem__________
6. Big Bluestem__________
7. Reed Canary Grass__________
8. Tall Fescue__________
9. Kentucky Bluegrass__________
10. Orchardgrass__________
Revised: April 2004


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