Grassland Evaluation Contest Study GuideFifth Edition: October 2005
SOIL INTERPRETATION

Student ID No. ___________ Student Name ___________ Score (KEY) Points: 100
     
SOIL EVALUATION
(5 points each)
____C___ 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
     
____A___ 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
     
____B___ 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
     
____A___ 4. Depth of soil (or zone) limiting rooting depth
    A. 40 - 60+ in. deep or very deep
B. 20 - <40 in.
C. 10 - <20 in. shallow
D. 0 - <10 in. very shallow
     
____E___ 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
     
____B___ 6. Depth of surface layer (The A Horizons)
    A. <3 inches
B. 3 - <7 inches
C. 7 - 10 inches
D. >10 inches
     
____D___ 7. Permeability of most limiting layer or to 60 inches
   
Inches/Hour Class
A. <0.06 very slow
B. 0.06- <0.2 slow
C. 0.20- <0.6 moderately slow
D. 0.60- <2.0 moderate
E. 2.00 - <6.0 moderately rapid
F. 6.00 - <20.0 rapid
G. >20.0 very rapid
     
____D___ 8. Available water capacity to most limiting layer (fragipan or bedrock)
    A. 0 - <3 very low
B. 3 - <6 low
C. 6 - <9 moderate
D. 9 - <12 high
E. >/= to 12 very high
     
____B___ 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
     
____C___ 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)
Forage Adapted Not Adapted
1. Alfalfa ___X___ ______
2. Annual Lespedeza ___X___ ______
3. White or Ladino Clover ___X___ ______
4. Bermuda Grass ___X___ ______
5. Caucasian Bluestem ___X___ ______
6. Big Bluestem ___X___ ______
7. Reed Canary Grass ___X___ ______
8. Tall Fescue ___X___ ______
9. Kentucky Bluegrass ___X___ ______
10. Orchardgrass ___X___ ______

Revised: April, 2004


Return to Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide