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Testing the Accuracy of Field Textures¹

ABSTRACT

Soil texture influences a wide variety of pedological, physical, chemical, and biological processes; thus, this property is a natural criterion to use in a soil classification scheme. Although laboratory analyses provide data on soil textures, most of the determinations occur in the field. Accuracy of field textures is therefore an important part of separating soils on the landscape and predicting their suitability for various uses. The accuracy of 598 field textures from Maryland was 50%; that is, in 50% of the cases, the field-textural class was in agreement with the USDA textural classification as determined by laboratory results. The highest accuracy was found with the sand, clay, sandy loam, and silt loam classes, with the agreement being 74, 73, 68, and 63%, respectively. When allowing an arbitrary 4% deviation around the textural class, the overall agreement increased to 67%. Errant field textures were generally associated with high contents of coarse fragments, free iron, organic matter, and very fine or coarse sands.

¹ Contribution no. 4960 Scientific Article no. A2012 of the Maryland Agr. Exp. Sta., Department of Agronomy, College Park, Md. 20742.

² Professor; Research Assistant (currently Assistant Professor, Univ. of Rhode Island); and Student Assistant (currently Systems Analyst, Univ. of Md.), respectively.

Received for publication September 30, 1974. Accepted for publication April 1, 1975.