The most general level of classification in the USDA system of Soil Taxonomy is the Soil Order. Soil orders are frequently defined by a single dominant characteristic affecting soils in that location, e.g., the prevalent vegetation, the type of parent material, or the climate variables such as lack of precipitation or the presence of permafrost. Also significant in several soil orders is the amount of physical and chemical weathering present, and/or the relative amount of soil profile development that has taken place.
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The National Commodity Crop Productivity Index 3.0 replaces version 2.0 as the National Crop Index. The NCCPI is a method of arraying the soils of the U.S. for non-irrigated commodity crop production based on their inherent soil properties. The interpretation is applicable to both heavily populated and sparsely populated areas. Ratings are for soils in their present condition. The present land use is not considered in the ratings. Most of the NCCPI criteria relate directly to the ability of soils, landscapes, and climates to foster crop productivity. The NCCPI is based on productivity for four crops: Corn, Soybeans, Small Grains, or Cotton. The maximum productivity rating, based on the highest value for these crops, is shown on the map.
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Drainage Class, which classifies how quickly water is removed from the soil, has been updated to the October 2019 NRCS SSURGO data release.
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Soil Loss Tolerance, a measure of how much soil can be lost per year without impacting production, has been updated to the October 2019 NRCS SSURGO data release. Note there is a change to the legend used to depict the data in this update.
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Soil Taxonomy Order, which is the broadest classification of soil types, has been updated to the October 2019 NRCS SSURGO data release.
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Land Capability Class, which shows the general suitability of soils for agricultural purposes, has been updated to the October 2019 NRCS SSURGO data release. Note there is a change to the legend used to depict the data in this update.
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The Soil Boundaries have been updated to the October 2019 NRCS SSURGO data release.
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Hydrologic Soil Group, which estimates potential runoff from precipitation based on soils characteristics, has been updated to the October 2019 NRCS SSURGO data release.
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Farmland Class, which shows prime and important farmland, has been updated to the October 2019 NRCS SSURGO data release.
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Slope Gradient, depicting the steepness of the landscape by soil type, has been updated to the October 2019 NRCS SSURGO data release.
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