Montana Soil Resources

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Montana Soil Resources

• Montana Small Grain Guide

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Soil Potential

• All Montana Soils have potential for cereal
  grains
• Irrigated soils cover 3
• doubles production per acre

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Characteristics of Montana Soils

• Soil characteristics that influence efficiency
• Soil Texture
• Organic Matter Content
• Amount of Clay
• pH
• Salt Level
• Arrangements of Horizons

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Soil Texture

• measure of relative proportions of sand, silt and
  clay
• texture determines
• water-holding capacity
• infiltration rate
• tendency to become compacted

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Organic Matter

• 1-5 OM in soils
• helps bind soil particles into aggregate
• improves infiltration
• holds more water, nutrients, air
• Soils farmed for 30 years have 1/2 the O.M.
• thus need for more fertilizer

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Soil pH

• measure of Acidity or Alkalinity
• ideal pH for nutrient availability 6.5
• many soils 7.5 to 8.3

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Salts

• arid climates salts do not leach out of soil,
  thus accumulate in the soil
• Saline Seep is one example

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Climate and Cereal Grain Production

• Late spring moisture reduced growing season
  lower yields
• Harvest rain lodging, bleaching
• Temperature Barley Wheat like cool
• Temps over 90 deg F damages
• Winterkill low winter temps kill winter wheat
• min temp -17 deg F
• protective snow cover

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Chinooks

• rise in temp. of 29 degrees F in 24 hour period
• more water enters the soil in areas of few
  chinooks
• Figure I-7 page 11

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Drought

• Lack of precipitation, high temps., high winds
• Dry April suggests that rest of growing season
  will be dry
• help decision making

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