Soil Management - Soil Information and Interpretations

Table of Contents

1. What is meant by "soil information and interpretations"?
2. How can this information be useful for a soil management program?
3. What are the limitations of this information?
4. How do you use the information on soil maps?
5. How can you obtain soil information?

Soil maps are available for most counties in Ontario. Soils are mapped based on their surface and subsoil texture, natural drainage (before tiling), stoniness, and other criteria. The amount of detail that can be included is limited, and your own experience of your farm's soils is important. Consider soil tope and variability when making field management decisions about tillage, fertility, drainage, etc.

What is meant by "soil information and interpretations"?

• soil information refers to local (county or district) soil maps and reports
• soil maps show the extent of soil types (series)
• soil interpretations are suitability or risk ratings of soil types for various uses, e.g. agricultural capability and limitations for soil management, suitability for specialty crops, erosion risk, etc.

How can this information be useful for a soil management program?

• soil maps can help with farm planning by showing your soil types, their properties (materials, slopes, natural drainage class, stoniness), and the extent of these soils on your farm or area of concern
• soil reports and interpretations can help you learn more about the properties of your soils, the unseen areas of your soil (subsoil and geology), the implications for soil management, and potential environmental risks.

Figure 1. Soil map.

Soil properties within your farm can be quite variable. Often, only years of cropping a given parcel of land will reveal the extent of variability. Fortunately, soil maps give an excellent overview of the soils in your area, and are a good starting point for planning a soil management system.

What are the limitations of this information?

• scale - most soil maps are mapped at a level of detail that is too general for intensive farm planning and development of a soil management program. Interpretations are based on experience and observation.

How do you use the information on soil maps?

• locate property - use township, lots, concessions, and noticeable features like streams, woodlots, and buildings to locate property
• list - soil map unit symbols on property
• soil map legend - use legend to look ap soil typa and properties of interest (slope, texture, subsoil features, natural drainage), e.g. Brookston clay
• soil report - if you need further information about soil properties and interpretations of your soil type, look them up in the Soil Survey Report

How can you obtain soil information?

• contact your local Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs resource centre