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<br />horned lark, can be encouraged on grasslands by
<br />S o a ! ry 4 o inNrioft) 7 /pr g
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<br />This soil is easy to till. Permeability and the available
<br />water capacity are moderate. Surface runoff is medium.
<br />Water erosion is a slight hazard, and soil blowing is a
<br />severe hazard.
<br />This soil is well suited to nonirrigated and sprinkler -
<br />irrigated crops. In most areas, this soil is used for
<br />nonirrigated winter wheat. Other nonirrigated crops are
<br />millet and sorghum. Corn is the main irrigated crop. This
<br />soil is also well suited to less intensive uses such as
<br />hay, pasture, or rangeland.
<br />The main concerns in managing irrigated cropland are
<br />controlling soil blowing and maintaining fertility. Soil
<br />blowing can be controlled by leaving crop residue on the
<br />surface when crops are not grown. Seeding directly into
<br />tilled stubble can protect emerging seedlings from
<br />damage by soil blowing. Grasses and legumes grown in
<br />rotation about one - fourth of the time help to restore
<br />organic matter lost by soil blowing. Decomposition of
<br />organic matter in the soil has a stabilizing effect that
<br />helps the soil resist soil blowing. Growing grasses and
<br />legumes also help to maintain or improve soil fertility and
<br />tilth.
<br />Sprinkler irrigation is commonly used on this soil.
<br />Surface irrigation is feasible with some land leveling.
<br />High crop yields can be expected if irrigation water is
<br />used efficiently. Nutrient deficiencies can occur. Soil
<br />tests should determine the amount of fertilizer needed.
<br />Liberal applications of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizer
<br />are needed where substratum material has been
<br />exposed by land leveling or erosion. Minimizing tillage on
<br />irrigated cropland helps to maintain soil tilth.
<br />The main concerns in managing nonirrigated cropland
<br />are controlling soil blowing and conserving soil moisture.
<br />Soil blowing can be controlled and moisture conserved
<br />by leaving crop residue on the surface, stubble mulch
<br />tillage, and striperopping. Light application of nitrogen
<br />fertilizer normally results in larger amounts of crop
<br />residue, which helps reduce soil blowing and trap snow.
<br />A cropping system of small grains alternated with row
<br />crops or small grains alternated with fallow is commonly
<br />used on nonirrigated cropland.
<br />The potential vegetation is dominantly sand bluestem,
<br />needleandthread, prairie sandreed, switchgrass, and blue
<br />grama. If the range is overgrazed, these grasses will
<br />decrease, and blue grama and sedges will increase.
<br />Deferred grazing is the most effective practice in
<br />maintaining range in good condition.
<br />This soil has good potential for the development of
<br />habitat for openland wildlife, including pheasant,
<br />cottontail, mourning dove, and songbirds, especially in
<br />areas under irrigation where a great variety of crops and
<br />cover types can be grown. The habitat for openland
<br />wildlife can be improved by planting trees and shrubs
<br />and by establishing undisturbed nesting cover. Sand
<br />cherry, American plum, cotoneaster, and similar species
<br />can provide food. The trees and shrubs recommended
<br />for use in windbreaks can provide cover. Rangeland
<br />wildlife, including antelope, jackrabbit, lark bunting, and
<br />Soil survey
<br />ing livestock, by fencing to permit the free
<br />properly graz livestock
<br />movement of antelope, and by developing
<br />watering facilities. seeding
<br />fields can be converted to gra by or g
<br />with a mixture selected from crested, pubescent,
<br />wheatgrass; little bluestem; indiangrass;
<br />sand bluestem; switchgrass; and blue grama. Wheat
<br />stubble or a cover of millet is suitable as a seedbed. For
<br />best results, seeding should take place early in spring.
<br />The potential native vegetation on this soil is
<br />dominantly sand bluestem, needleandthread, prairie
<br />sandreed, switchgrass, and blue grama. If rangeland is
<br />overgrazed, blue grama, bluestem, prairie sandreed,
<br />switchgrass, and needleandthread decrease in number,
<br />and sand sagebrush, sand dropseed, and bush wild
<br />buckwheat increase. Deferred grazing, seeding, livestock
<br />watering facilities, and sand sagebrush management
<br />help to maintain or improve range.
<br />Deteriorated range can be seeded using a mixture
<br />selected from recommended varieties of sand bluestem,
<br />little bluestem, sideoats grama, switchgrass, prairie
<br />sandreed, indiangrass, and crested, intermediate, or
<br />pubescent wheatgrass. The seedbed should be firm and
<br />as free as possible of perennial plant competition.
<br />This soil has good potential for the development of
<br />habitat for openland wildlife such as pheasant, cottontail,
<br />mourning dove, and songbirds, especially in areas under
<br />irrigation where a great variety of crops and cover types
<br />can be raised and developed. The habitat for openland
<br />wildlife can be improved by planting trees and shrubs
<br />and by establishing undisturbed nesting cover. Cover
<br />and food for openland wildlife can be provided by
<br />establishing windbreaks that include plantings of
<br />honeysuckle, cotoneaster, and other species that wildlife
<br />use for food. Rangeland wildlife, for example, antelope,
<br />jackrabbit, lark bunting, and horned lark, can be
<br />encouraged on the grasslands by properly grazing
<br />livestock, by fencing to permit the free movement of
<br />antelope, and by developing livestock watering facilities.
<br />This soil is suited to windbreaks and environmental
<br />plantings. Soil blowing is the principal limitation to
<br />establishing trees and shrubs. This limitation can be
<br />overcome by cultivating only in the tree row and by
<br />leaving a strip of vegetation between the rows.
<br />Supplemental irrigation is necessary at the time of
<br />planting and during dry periods. The trees that are best
<br />adapted and that have a good chance of survival are
<br />Rocky Mountain juniper, ponderosa pine, Siberian elm,
<br />Russian - olive, and hackberry; the shrubs are skunkbush
<br />sumac, lilac, and Siberian peashrub.
<br />This soil is suited to use as sites for housing, but,
<br />because of the somewhat low bearing strength of the
<br />soil, foundation footings need to be sufficiently wide to
<br />provide a safety margin to support the weight of
<br />buildings. This soil is well suited to use as septic tank
<br />filter fields.
<br />Capability subclass Ile, nonirrigated and irrigated.
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