The Cooperative Soil Survey

SOIL SURVEY OF BARTON COUNTY MISSOURI

Lanton Series - Missouri Distribution

The Lanton series consists of deep, nearly level soils on bottom lands. These soils formed in nearly neutral, fine-textured sediment washed from nearby soils on uplands that formed mostly in limestone residuum and partly in other materials.

    In a representative profile, the surface layer is very dark gray and black silty clay loam about 12 inches thick. The subsoil is 53 inches thick. The upper 24 inches of the subsoil is very dark gray silty clay loam. The lower 29 inches is dark-gray silty clay loam. The underlying material is gray, firm light silty clay loam.

    Lanton soils are high in natural fertility and are poorly drained. Runoff is slow, permeability is slow, and the available water capacity is high. Overflows are occasional or frequent. Wetness is the major limitation that affects use of these soils. If management is specialized, row crops can be grown year after year. The potential for growing irrigated field crops and vegetables on these soils is good, but the availability of an adequate water supply limits the acreage that can be irrigated.

    Most areas of these soils are cultivated. Corn, soybeans, sorghums, small grain, grasses, and legumes are grown. A few areas to which access is limited are in brush and timber. The remaining acreage is in permanent pasture. Representative profile of Lanton silty clay loam, in a cultivated field, 770 feet south and 1,780 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 5, T. 31 N., R. 29 W.:

Ap—0 to 9 inches, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam; weak, fine, granular structure; friable; few dead roots; thin organic films; few very fine pebbles; neutral; abrupt, smooth boundary.

A1—9 to 12 inches, black (10YR 2/1) silty clay loam; moderate, fine, granular structure; friable; thin continuous organic films; few worm channels and caste; few small iron and manganese concretions; few dark yellowish-brown (10YR 4/4) organic stains on ped surfaces; few very fine pebbles; neutral; gradual, smooth boundary.

B21—12 to 36 inches, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) silty clay loam; few, fine, faint, dark-gray and dark yellowish-brown mottles; weak, fine and very fine, subangular blocky structure; firm; common small iron and manganese concretions; few very fine pebbles; neutral; gradual, smooth boundary.

B22g—36 to 65 inches, dark-gray (5Y 4/1) silty clay loam; common, medium, distinct, dark yellowish-brown mottles and few, fine, faint, gray mottles; weak, very fine and fine, subangular and angular blocky structure ; firm; common small iron and manganese concretions ; few very fine pebbles; neutral; gradual, smooth boundary.

Cr—65 to 72 inches, gray (5Y 5/1) light silty clay loam; common, medium, distinct, dark yellowish-brown (10YR 4/4) mottles and few, fine, faint, dark-gray mottles; massive; firm; common iron and manganese concretions ; few fine pebbles less than ^ inch in diameter and less than 10 percent by volume; neutral.

The A horizon is black (10YR 2/1) to very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silty clay loam or silt loam and is 10 to 30 inches thick. The upper part of the B horizon ranges from black (10YR 2/1) to very dark gray (2.5Y 3/1), and the lower part from dark gray (10YR 4/1) to light gray (5Y 6/1). Thickness ranges from 15 to 60 inches. Texture is silty clay loam in the upper part of the horizon and silty clay loam to clay in the lower part. Content of gravel is generally less than 5 percent but at a depth of 40 inches or more ranges to as much as about 35 percent. Lanton soils are dominantly nearly neutral, but in some areas of overwash, they range to medium acid.

    Lanton soils are on wide flood plains of large streams and in some upland drainageways. They are near soils of the Summit, Hepler, Radley, and Verdigris series. A thicker, dark-colored surface layer distinguishes them from Summit, Hepler, and Radley soils. A coarser textured 10- to 40-inch zone also distinguishes them from Summit soils. The underlying material in Lanton soils is finer textured, grayer, and wetter than it is in Radley and Verdigris soils.

Lanton silty clay loam (La).—This nearly level soil is on flood plains. Areas are about 10 acres to more than 40 acres in size. They are long and narrow in upland drainageways. A profile of this soil is described as representative for the series.
    Included with this soil in mapping are a few small areas of Lanton and Verdigris silt loams; Summit silty clay loam, 0 to 2 percent slopes; and Hepler silt loam. Also included are areas of a soil that is similar to this Lanton soil, except that it has a clayey surface layer and subsoil. This included soil is in a few small areas of the bottom land south of Golden City. These inclusions together generally make up no more than 20 percent of the mapped areas.

    A good response to management can be expected. Seasonal wetness caused by ponding and overflow is the major limitation affecting the use of this soil. The choice of crops is reduced, or moderate conservation practices are required. The soil is suited to corn, sorghum, soybeans, small grain, grass, and legume crops. Crops that tolerate some wetness are better suited to this soil than those that do not. Capability unit IIw-1.

Hughes, H.E. 1974. Soil Survey of Barton County, Missouri. USDA-SCS. U.S. Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC.