Soils of North Dakota Dave Franzen Professor, North Dakota State University, Fargo- Extension Soil Specialist
Green soils are Mollisols
Till Lakebed Residuum
Till Lakebed Residuum OLD YOUNG
All of our soils “East River” are derived from great continental glaciers.
Hot/dry Warm/moist Cool/moist Cool/dryer
Influence of landscape
Bulk density values: Ap 0-6 in g/cm 3 AB B Slide from Hopkins, 2011 CEC; 45.3 cmol (+)/kg older term (meq/100g) Ca+2= 21.8 cmol (+)/kg Mg+2=15.1 cmol (+)/kg The organic carbon (OC) is: 3.07, 2.16, and 1.67 % to 26 in. That lowest horizon is > 3% SOM
Red River Valley scene with Fargo soils in a corn field, early June, 2010.
Bare soil temperature at 4 inches from November 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010, Fargo, ND.
Image from D. Hopkins
Till Plain scene with spring wheat near Valley City, 2010
A B C Typical Barnes soil profile Mean wetting depth
Wheat field harvest, August, 2010, NW North Dakota, Bismarck Tribune photo
Williams Soils- Side slope position on many western North Dakota soils 2.2 million acres of ND is Williams loams
Salts or sodium affect many millions of acres of North Dakota farm and pasture land
6/23/92 6/14/94 6/15/93 6/18/96 6/22/99 6/22/00 Swale groundwater elevations in mid-June; Drought to pluvial in southeastern North Dakota (Hopkins)
Photo courtesy of Dr. David Hopkins, NDSU
Devils Lake 1984 USGS image Devils Lake 2010 USGS image
Farmland near Forman, ND flooding due to water table rising, Photo courtesy of Kelly Cooper, Forman SCD
Crops in North Dakota have done better than their summer counterparts mostly because of the lack of 100 degree temps, but also due to the legacy of high water tables from previous years and the capillary water pull of most of our soils to supply crops during an extended dry period.