These are the rules for determining the answers to the right-hand side of the Agriculture and Environment scorecard.

Scorecard questions Applicable rules
Use Table 5 from the book (p. ________) to determine the land capability class.

Mark all subclasses that apply.

Soil belongs to subclass "e" (answer 52 is YES) if:
  1. Slope of 3% or more OR
  2. Sandy or moderately sandy surface texture.

Soil belongs to subclass "s" (answer 53 is YES) if:
  1. 40 inches or less to any limiting layer OR
  2. Surface texture or subsoil texture is sandy or moderately sandy.

Soil belongs to subclass "w" (answer 54 is YES) if:
  1. Poorly or somewhat poorly drained soil OR
  2. On floodplain or filled depression landforms.
Soil is considered Prime farmland (answer 55 is YES) if the soil contains ALL these properties:
  1. Moderately sandy or finer subsoil texture AND
  2. More than 20 inches to bedrock or coarse sand and gravel limiting layer AND
  3. Slope is 6% or less
High potential for soil erosion by water (answer 56 is YES) if:
Soils on slopes steeper than 12%


High potential for soil erosion by wind (answer 57 is YES) if:
Soils have sandy or moderately sandy surface texture


High potential for soil compaction (answer 58 is YES) if:
  1. Somewhat poor or poor natural soil drainage AND
  2. Moderately sandy or finer surface texture


High potential for ground water pollution (answer 59 is YES) if:
  1. Poor or somewhat poor natural drainage AND
  2. Sandy subsoils or a coarse sand and gravel limiting layer

High potential for surface water pollution (answer 60 is YES) if:
Soils on slopes steeper than 12%
Soil always contains natural vegetation (question 61 is YES).


Soil contains grassed waterways (answer 62 is YES) if:
Soil has slope of 3-18%.


Soil contains windbreaks (answer 63 is YES) if:
Surface texture is sandy or moderately sandy.


Soil contains filter strips (answer 64 is YES) if:
  1. Outwash landform or floodplain landform or poorly drained AND
  2. Slope of 18% or less
Soil has been used as permanent pasture (answer 65 is YES) if:
Soil has slope of 25% or less.


Crop rotation has been used (answer 66 is YES) if:
Soil has slope of 18% or less.


No-till with cover crop has been used (answer 67 is YES) if:
  1. 12% or less slope AND
  2. Either:
    1. Well or moderately well drained soils with any surface texture OR
    2. Poorly or somewhat poorly drained soils with sandy or moderately sandy surface texture.


No-till has been used (answer 68 is YES) if:
  1. 6% or less slope AND
  2. Either:
    1. Well or moderately well drained soils with any surface texture OR
    2. Poorly or somewhat poorly drained soils with moderately clayey or coarser surface texture


Clean tillage (chisel tillage and moldboard plowing) has been used (answer 69 is YES) if:
  1. 2% or less slope AND
  2. Medium or finer surface texture AND
  3. Poorly or somewhat poorly drained
Should preserve as wetland (answer 70 is YES) if:
  1. Natural drainage is poor (any landform) OR
  2. Landform is flood plain and natural drainage is somewhat poor.

Should use artificial drainage (answer 71 is YES) if:
  1. Current land use is farmland or developed land AND
  2. Natural drainage is poor or somewhat poor AND
  3. Landform is not a flood plain

Should use irrigation (answer 72 is YES) if:
  1. 6% or less slope AND
  2. Either:
    1. Subsoil is sandy or moderately sandy OR
    2. Soil has a coarse sand and gravel limiting layer within 40 inches

Should use parallel terraces (answer 73 is YES) if:
  1. Well, moderately well, or somewhat poorly drained AND
  2. More than 40 inches to any limiting layer AND
  3. 3% to 12% slope AND
  4. Medium or finer subsoil texture AND
  5. Parent material is not weathered bedrock
Nitrogen Application rate:
High (answer 74 is C) if:
  1. More than 40 inches to any limiting layer AND
  2. Medium or moderately clayey textures in surface soil and subsoil AND
  3. Poorly or somewhat poorly drained AND
  4. Dark surface color

Medium (answer 74 is B) if:
  1. More than 20 inches to any limiting layer AND
  2. Moderately sandy or finer textures in surface soil and subsoil AND
  3. Slope is 12% or less

Low (answer 74 is A):
  1. All other soils
Phosphorus:
Apply if available P is <30 pounds per acre
Do not apply if available P is 30-200 pounds per acre
Deplete if available P is >200 pounds per acre
Potassium:
Apply if available K is <210 pounds per acre
Do not apply if available K is 210-500 pounds per acre
Deplete if available K is >500 pounds per acre
Lime:
Apply if pH is 6.4 or less (as noted on site card)
Do not apply if pH >6.4
Soil contains High Herbicide: (answer 78 is YES) if:
  1. Poorly or somewhat poorly drained, any surface texture, and dark surface color OR
  2. Well or moderately well drained, medium, or more clayey surface texture, and dark surface color

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