Bulletin No.
657
Document Type
Bulletin
Department
Department of Plant Science
Description
Since yield predictions for 1,874 South Dakota soil phases were available it was decided to develop a method to rate soils according to their relative crop and grass producing ability. The method developed to rate soils can be adapted for a county, region land resource area, or for an entire state. Range crops under non-irrigated conditions were used to calculate the final soil productivity rating for each soil phase. There are three steps in the procedure used to calculate the final soil productivity rating: 1) determine a comparative crop rating for each soil phase for soils capable of being cropped; 2) calculate a comparative range rating for soils adapted for grass or range; and 3) determine a balance point factor used to relate crop ratings with range ratings. Results are printed by computer in two formats, a high-low array and an alphabetical array. Ratings correlate with soil properties, precipitation and land sale figures. Ratings can be used to evaluate land and to compare soils which have different properties and environments within a county or between counties.
Keywords
South Dakota soil ratings, soil productivity, soil production rating system
Pages
118
Publication Date
10-1979
Type
text
Format
application/pdf
Language
en
Publisher
South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, South Dakota State University
Recommended Citation
Malo, D. D. and Westin, F. C., "Rating South Dakota Soils According to Productivity" (1979). Research Bulletins of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station (1887-2011). 662.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_bulletins/662