Prime Farmland Map Units, Massachusetts

PRIME FARMLAND SOIL MAP UNITS

Link to National Soil Survey Handbook Section
Title 7 Code Definition
Unofficial Massachusetts List

Official prime farmland map units can be found (some states do not have this information posted) in Section II of the electronic Field Office Technical Guide for the State you are interested in: Connecticut | Maine | Massachusetts | New Hampshire | Rhode Island | Vermont | Other States | This information is also found on the Soil Data Mart site.

General Criteria

Prime farmland soils are those that have the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops, and are also available for these uses (the soil's use could be cropland, pastureland, forest land, or other land, but not urban built-up or water). It has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high yields of crops when treated and managed, including water management, according to acceptable farming methods. In general, prime farmland soils have adequate and dependable precipitation, a favorable temperature and growing season, acceptable acidity or alkalinity, and few or no surface stones. They are permeable to water and air. Prime farmland soils are not excessively erodible or saturated with water for a long period of time, and they either do not flood frequently or are protected from flooding.

Specific Criteria

Prime farmland soils in Massachusetts meet all the following criteria: (Terms used are defined in USDA publications: "Soil Taxonomy, Agriculture Handbook 435," "Soil Survey Manual, Agriculture Handbook 18," "Predicting Rainfall Erosion Losses, Agriculture Handbook 537," and "Wind Erosion Forces in the United States and Their Use in Predicting Soil Loss, Agriculture Handbook 346."

A. The soils have aquic or udic moisture regimes and sufficient available water capacity within a depth of 40 inches (1 meter), or in the root zone (root zone is the part of the soil that is penetrated or can be penetrated by plant roots) if it is less than 40 inches deep, to produce the commonly grown cultivated crops (cultivated crops include, but are not limited to grain, forage, oilseed, sugar beets, vegetables, orchard, vineyard, and bush fruit crops) adapted to the region in 7 or more years of 10 (has at less 3.5 inches of available water in MLRA's, 144A and 149B, and more than 3 inches of available water in MLRA's, 144B and 143 and 145), and
B. The soils have a temperature regime that is frigid or mesic. These are soils that, at a depth of 20 inches (50 cm.), have a mean annual temperature between 32 and 59F (0-24C). In addition, the mean summer temperature at this depth in soils with an O horizon is higher than 47oF (8C), in soils that have no O horizon, the mean summer temperature is higher than 59F (15C); and,
C. The soils have a pH between 4.5 and 8.4 in all horizons within a depth of 40 inches (1 meter) or in the root zone if it is less than 40 inches deep; and,
D. The soils either have no water table or have a water table that is maintained at a sufficient depth during the cropping season to allow cultivated crops common to the area to be grown; and,
E. The soils are not flooded frequently during the growing season (less often than once in 2 years); and,
F. The product of K (erodibility factor) x percent slope is less than 2.0; and,
G. The soils have a permeability rate of at least 0.06 inch (0.15 cm) per hour in the upper 20 inches (50 cm); and,
H. Less than 10 percent of the surface layer (upper 6 inches) in these soils consists of rock fragments 3 inches (7.6 cm) to 10 inches (25 cm) in size.

Massachusetts (unofficial) Prime Farmland List

(NOTE: This list is currently being revised, please contact Bill Taylor for more information - 508-829-6628 x111)

To use this list, note the soil map unit name listed in the map unit legend from the publsihed soil survey you are using, such as Woodbridge fine sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes. The map unit symbol (WrA, 310A, etc.) may be different for each County survey so make sure you note it correctly, also note the map unit phase - a very stony Woodbridge soil map unit is NOT prime while a Woodbridge (non stony) IS prime.

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Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Agawan fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes
Agawam fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Agawam fine sandy loam, silty subsoil, 0-3 percent slopes
Agawam fine sandy loam, silty subsoil, 3-8 percent slopes
Amenia silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes
Amenia silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Amostown fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes
Amostown fine sandy loam, 0-5 percent slopes
Amostown fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Amostown sandy loam, 0-5 percent slopes
Amostown and Belgrade soils, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Belgrade very fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes
Belgrade very fine sandy loam, 0-8 percent slopes
Belgrade silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes
Belgrade silt loam, 0-8 percent slopes
Berkshire loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Berkshire fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Berkshire fine sandy loam, dark subsoil, 3-8 percent slopes
Bernardston silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes
Bernardston silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Bernardston channery silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Birchwood loamy sand, 0-3 percent slopes
Birchwood loamy sand, 3-8 percent slopes
Boxford silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes
Boxford silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Broadbrook very fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Broadbrook gravelly silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Brookfield fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Buckland fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes
Buckland fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Buxton silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes
Buxton silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes
Buxton Variant silt loam, 0-8 percent slopes (Hampden, central part)

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Canton fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Canton fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Charlton fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Charlton fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Charlton-Paxton fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Cheshire fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Chilmark sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Colrain fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Copake fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Copake fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Eldridge loamy sand, 0-6 percent slopes

Elmridge fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Elmridge fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Elmwood fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Elmwood fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Enfield very fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Enfield silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Hadley silt loam

Hadley silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Hadley very fine sandy loam, high bottom, 0-3 percent slopes

Hadley very fine sandy loam

Hadley very fine sandy loam, overflow, 0-3 percent slopes

Hadley very fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Hartland silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Haven very fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Haven very fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Hero loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Hero loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Hero Variant gravelly loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Hero Variant gravelly loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Hinesburg sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Hinesburg sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Hinesburg loamy sand, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Katma sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Katma sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Ludlow loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Marlow loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Marlow loam, dark subsoil, 3-8 percent slopes

Meckesville loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Melrose fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Melrose fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Merrimac fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Merrimac fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Merrimac sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes 1/

Merrimac sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes 1/

Montauk fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Nantucket sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Narragansett very fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Narragansett very fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Nellis loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Newport silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Newport loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Ninigret fine sandy loam

Ninigret fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Ninigret fine sandy loam, 0-6 percent slopes

Ninigret fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Ninigret fine sandy loam, 3-10 percent slopes

Ninigret fine sandy loam, silty substratum, 0-3 percent slopes

Ninigret fine sandy loam, silty substratum, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Occum fine sandy loam

Ondawa fine sandy loam

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Paxton fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Paxton fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Peru loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Peru loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Pittsfield loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Pittstown loam, 0-8 percent slopes

Pittstown silt loam, 0-8 percent slopes

Pittstown silt loam, 2-8 percent slopes

Pittstown silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Podunk fine sandy loam

Pollux fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Pollux fine sandy loam, 0-8 percent slopes

Pollux fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Pootatuck fine sandy loam

Poquonock loamy sand, 0-3 percent slopes

Poquonock loamy sand, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Riverhead sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Riverhead sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Riverhead-Nantucket complex, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Scio silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Scio silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Scituate fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Scituate fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Shelburne loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Stockbridge gravelly silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Sudbury fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Sudbury fine sandy loam, 0-8 percent slopes

Sudbury fine sandy loam, 2-8 percent slopes

Sudbury fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Suffield silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Suffield silt loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Sutton fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Sutton fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Tisbury very fine sandy loam

Tisbury very fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Tisbury very fine sandy loam, 0-8 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Unadilla silt loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Unadilla very fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Soil mapping units used in Massachusetts that are prime farmland

Warwick fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes 1/

Warwick fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes 1/

Warwick gravelly loam, 0-3 percent slopes 1/

Warwick gravelly loam, 3-8 percent slopes 1/

Weathersfield fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

Winooski very fine sandy loam

Winooski silt loam

Woodbridge fine sandy loam, 0-3 percent slopes

Woodbridge fine sandy loam, 3-8 percent slopes

1/ Only in MLRA 143, 144B and 145

Link to important farmland list

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