The Volcanic Ash Soils of Chile
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' I EXPANDED PROGRAM OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE No. 2017 Report to the Government of CHILE THE VOLCANIC ASH SOILS OF CHILE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS ROMEM965 -"'^ .Y--~ - -V^^-.. -r~ ' y Report No. 2017 Report CHT/TE/LA Scanned from original by ISRIC - World Soil Information, as ICSU World Data Centre for Soils. The purpose is to make a safe depository for endangered documents and to make the accrued information available for consultation, following Fair Use Guidelines. Every effort is taken to respect Copyright of the materials within the archives where the identification of the Copyright holder is clear and, where feasible, to contact the originators. For questions please contact [email protected] indicating the item reference number concerned. REPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT OP CHILE on THE VOLCANIC ASH SOILS OP CHILE Charles A. Wright POOL ANL AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OP THE UNITEL NATIONS ROME, 1965 266I7/C 51 iß - iii - TABLE OP CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 RECOMMENDATIONS 1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3 The nature and composition of volcanic landscapes 3 Vbloanio ash as a soil forming parent material 5 The distribution of voloanic ash soils in Chile 7 Nomenclature used in this report 11 A. ANDOSOLS OF CHILE» GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS, FORMATIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND MAIN KINDS OF SOIL 11 1. TRUMAO SOILS 11 General characteristics 11 The formative environment 13 ÈS (i) Climate 13 (ii) Topography 13 (iii) Parent materials 13 (iv) Natural plant cover 14 (o) The main kinds of trumao soils ' 14 2. NADI SOILS 16 General characteristics 16 The formative environment 16 tö (i) Climat* 16 (ii) Topograph? and parent materials 17 (iii) Natural plant cover 18 B. USE, MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE MAIN KINDS OF ANDOSOLS IN CHILE 19 1. PRESENT PATTERNS OP SOIL USE 20 2. SOIL MANAGEMENT 22 (a) General management practices 22 (bj Tillage 24 (c; Soil moisture conservation, irrigation and drainage 25 id) Soil conservation 28 (e) Use of fertilizers 29 if) Crops and cropping systems 31 (g) Soil management problems 31 3. SOIL PRODUCTIVITY 33 4. ENGINEERING USES AND PROBLEMS 33 — iv — C. FARMING POTENTIALITIES OP A TRUMAO SPIL 34 1. A SUGGESTED FARM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR MEDIT3M-SIZED PROPERTY ON SANTA BARBARA TRUMAO SOIL IN THE BIO-BIO, MALLECO OR NUBLE PROVINCES 35 Location and nature of farm in its original state 35 Modification of existing features 36 tö (i) Subdivision of fields 36 (ii) Pasture improvement 36 (iii) Internal aocess routes 36 (ivj Shelter belts 37 (v) Land cleaning and additional forest olearance 37 (vi) Reafforestation 37 (vii^ Drainage 37 (viii) Erosion oontrol 37 (ix^ Seleotion of farm machinery 38 (x) Farm buildings 38 (i±) Use and management of water 38 (xii) Management of pastures 38 (xiii ) Labour 38 (xiv) Control of weeds and pests 38 (c^ General plan of development 39 (d) Financing the development plan 41 (e) Technical assistance 41 D. NATURE. ORIGIN AND CLASSIFICATION OF CHILEAN ANDSOLS AND BELATED SOILS 42 1. TRUMAO SOILS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE 1 (EXTREME NORTHERN TRUMAOS) 42 'a^ Environmental characteristics of the zone 42 bj General soil morphology 43 o) General chemical characteristics 43 d) Characteristics of typical soils 44 (i) Hornillos fine sandy loam 44 (ii) Maiten very fine sandy to silt loam 45 (iii) Tregualemu very fine sandy loam 46 (iv) Nirreguao fine sand 46 (v) Laguna del Maule loamy sand 47 Soil genesis 47 &j Soil classification 48 2. TRUMAO SOILS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE 2 (NORTHERN TRUMAOS) 48 'a) Environmental characteristics of the zone 49 t) General soil morphology 50 c) General chemical characteristics 51 d) Characteristics of typical soils 52 (i) Santa Barbara very fine sandy loam, Chilian facies 53 (ii) Santa Barbara very fine sandy loam, Sta. Barbara facies 53 (iii) Santa Barbara very fine sandy loam, Mulchen facies 54 (iv) Arrayan silt loam 54 (v) Baguales fine sandy loam 55 Soil genesis 56 18 Soil classification 57 - V - Page 3. TRUMAO SOILS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE 3 (CENTRAL TRUMAOS) 57 Environmental characteristics of the sons 58 General soil morphology 59 General chemical characteristics 60 Characteristics of typical soils 61 (i) Cantin silt loam 61 (ii) Icalma loamy coarse sand 62 (iii) Vilcün loam to silt loam 63 (iv) Temuco silt loam 64 (v) Trevolhue vexj fine sandy loam 64 Soil genesis 65 fe)Soi l classification 67 4. TRÜMAO SOILS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE 4 (SOUTHERN TRUMAOS) 67 (a) Environmental characteristics of the zone 66 (b) General soil morphology 66 (c) General chemical characteristics 69 (d) Characteristics of typioal soils 69 (i) Puerto Octay silt loam and fine sandy loam 70 Puerto Fonok very fine sandy loam and silt loam 70 Puyehue silt loam 71 Choshuenco sandy loam 72 Rupanco gravelly coarse sandy loam 72 Quillelhue loamy sand 73 Puoón coarse sandy loam 73 Osorno yexj fine sandy loam 74 Pelch.uq.ufn fine sandy loam 74 Soil genesis 75 Soil classification 77 5. TRUMAO SOILS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE 5 (EXTREME SOUTHERN TRUMAOS) 77 a) Environmental characteristics of the zone 73 h) General soil morphology 78 c) General ohemioal characteristics 79 d) Characteristics of typical soils 79 (i) Castro silt loam 80 (ii) Quellen silt loam 80 (iii) Maniuales silt loam 81 (iv) Puerto Lumaa sandy loam 81 (VJ Natri peaty fine sandy loam 82 (vi) Chepu very fine sandy loam 83 Soil genesis 84 felSoi l classification 85 6. TRUMAO SOILS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ZONE 6 (CHILEAN TROPICAL TRUMAOS) 85 (a) Environmental characteristics of the zone 85 (hJ General soil morphology 86 (o) General ohemioal oharaoteristiCB 86 (d) Charaoteristies of typioal soils 87 (i) Rano Kao heavy fine sandy loam 87 (ii j Vinapu very fine sandy loam 87 (iii) Poike silty clay loam 88 Soil genesis 88 Soil classification 89 - VI - 7. SADI SOILS 90 a) Environmental oharaoteristics of nadi soils 90 b) General morphology of nadi soils 90 c) General chemical characteristics 91 d) Characteristics of -typical nadi soils 91 (i) Pitrufquên heavy sandy loam 91 (ii) Frutillar silt loam 91 (iii) Carel fine sandy loam 92 (iv) Calonje very fine sandy loam 93 Soil genesis 93 fc)Soi l classification 94 8. TRÜMA0 SOILS ON STEEP SLOPES AND RELATED STEEPLAJSTD SOILS 95 (TRUMAO STEEPLAND SOILSJ a) Environmental characteristics of trumao steepland soils 95 b) General characteristics of trumao steepland soils 97 CJ General chemical characteristics 97 d) Characteristics of typioal soils 97 (i) Ataoaloo steepland soils 98 (iii Homolluco steepland soils 98 (iii) Chanleufu steepland soils 99 (iv) Peulla steepland soils 100 (v) Huemules steepland soils 101 Soil genesis 102 fe)Soi l classification 103 9. INTERGRADES BETWEEHT TRUMAO SOILS AND OTHER SOIL GROUPS 104 (a) Intergrades to recent volcanic ash soils 104 1. General features 104 2. Typical intergrades 104 (i} Chilian sandy intergrading to Santa Barbara sandy loam 104 (ii) Lonquimay 00arse sand and gravel 105 (iii) Tillarrica coarse sand 105 (iv) Antillanca stony sand 1°5 (b) Intergrades to red voloanio days 106 (i) Collipulli sandy loam 106 (ii) Maquehue loam 107 10. INTERGRADES HETWEEN HADI SOILS ABD OTHER SOIL GROUPS 107 (a) Intergrades to Humic Gley soils 107 - General features 107 (i) Freire silty day loam 107 (b) Intergrades to Podzolic Gleys and Oley Podzols 107 - General features 107 (i) Maldonado peaty sandy loam 108 BIBLIOGRAPHT 1°9 APPENDIX It PROFILE DESCRIPTIONS OP SOILS MEHTIOHED IH THE TEXT' 117 APPEHDIX lit THE RED VOLCAHIC CLAYS OF CHILE 179 EXPLANATORY LEGENDS FOR FIGS. 4 AND 10 193 - vii- LIST OF glOURES Figure 1 - Voloanio Regions Bordering the Paoific Ocean Figure 2 - Distribution of Voloanio Ash Material in Chile Figure 3 - Distribution of Andosols and "Red Voloanic Clays" Figure 4 - Broad Distribution of Volcanic Ash Soils in Southern Chile Figure 5 — Approximate Mean Annual Rainfall Figure 6 - Approximate number of months with less than 100 m.m. rainfall Figure 7 - Approximate Mean Annual Temperatures Figure 8 - Broad Topographio Units Figure 9 - Broad Distribution of Primitive Plant Cover Figure 10 - Environmental Regions of the Southern Andean Zone Figure 11.A - Transeot, South-Central Chile in Latitude 40° 38'S Figure 11.B - Diagrammatio Section Across Nadi Terraces Showing Relative Depth of the Ash Mantle MR/26617 INTRODUCTION In accordance with the Agreement signed between the Government of Chile and the Food & Agriculture Organization of the united Nations (FAO), a specialist in voloanic ash soils, Mr A.C.S.Wright, was made available by FAO to study the nature and agricultural potential of the volcanic ash soils of Chile. Mr Wright was in Chile from December 1959 to March 1964« His terms of reference were to advise and assist the Government — 1. In the study of the morphology, genesis and classification of the soils derived from volcanic ash. 2. In establishing correlations between volcanic soils in Chile and similar soils occurring in New Zealand. 3. In determining, for each of the major volcanic soils, its suitability for crops, pasture or forestry production, considering problems of management, irrigation, drainage, fixation of phosphate, etc. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The expert wishes to express his appreciation to the offioials of the Government of Chile, especially to the late Dr. Carlos Diaz Vial and Sr. Mario Feralta Peralta of the Ministry of Agriculture, and to Sr. Elias Letelier, for their unfailing support and constant readiness to provide advice and assistance during the progress of the work. In carrying out the work, the expert spent a large amount of time in the field with the various members of the soil survey team of the Ministry of Agriculture. These were most fruitful days, and the expert wishes to express his thanks to all these Ingeneiros Agronomos for their ready acceptance of the 'gringo from New Zealand', for their keen collaboration, great hospitality and sincere friendship.