Tifton soil is the official state
soil of the state of
Georgia.
Profile
A typical Tifton soil profile consists of an
topsoil of dark grayish brown loamy
sand. The subsoil extends to about 65 inches, strong brown fine sandy
loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
to 22 inches; yellowish brown sandy clay loam to 40 inches; yellowish brown mottled, sandy clay loam to 60 inches, and strong brown, mottled sandy clay to 65 inches. Two distinctive features of the Tifton soil profile are the presence of more than 5 percent
ironstone nodules in the upper part of the soil and more than 5 percent
plinthite in the lower part of the soil.
Tifton soils are on nearly level to gently sloping uplands of the Southern Coastal Plain. They formed in loamy sediments of marine origin. When this series was identified in 1909 it was recognized as one of the best soils for cotton, which at the time was a most important cash crop. At present, Tifton soils are among the most agriculturally important soils in the state. Twenty-seven percent of Georgia's prime farmland is on Tifton soils, more than twice as much as any other soil series.
Cotton,
peanuts,
soybeans, and
corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
are the principal crops grown on these soils.
Although primarily an agricultural soil, the Tifton is also a good forest soil with only slight erosion hazard, equipment limitations, and seedling mortality.
Loblolly pine and
slash pine are the two main plantation species; some
longleaf pine is also seen.
[https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MANUSCRIPTS/georgia/GA277/0/tift.pdf Soil Survey of Tift County, Georgia, 1983, p.78]
See also
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Pedology (soil study)
*
Soil types
*
List of U.S. state soils
This is a list of U.S. state soils. A state soil is a soil that has special significance to a particular state. Each state in the United States has selected a state soil, twenty of which have been legislatively established. These official state ...
References
{{Reflist
Tifton Soil
Pedology
Soil in the United States
Geology of Georgia (U.S. state)
Symbols of Georgia (U.S. state)
Types of soil