Alisols
Encyclopedia
Alisols define a soil group within the World Reference Base for Soil Resources
Properties include having an argic horizon, which has a specific cation exchange capacity
; a predominantly alic properties zone between 250mm and 1000 mm from the soil surface; and no diagnostic horizons
other than an ochric, umbric, albic, andic, ferric, nitic, plinthic or vertic horizon.
Simply put, alisols are poorly drained sand soils with a dense subsurface clay layer, which causes a relatively high concentration of aluminum ions in the root zone.
There exist mixed forms, for example 'gleyic alisol',
that are mainly alisol, but also contain components that are found in gleysols.
In some alisols amount of aluminum is so high that plants can be poisoned by it.
Encyclopedia Brittanica mentions oil palm, cotton, and maize (corn) as crops suitable to be grown on this soil.
World Reference Base for Soil Resources
The World Reference Base for Soil Resources is the international standard taxonomic soil classification system endorsed by the International Union of Soil Sciences . It was developed by an international collaboration coordinated by the International Soil Reference and Information Centre and...
Properties include having an argic horizon, which has a specific cation exchange capacity
Cation exchange capacity
In soil science, cation-exchange capacity is the maximum quantity of total cations, of any class, that a soil is capable of holding, at a given pH value, for exchanging with the soil solution. CEC is used as a measure of fertility, nutrient retention capacity, and the capacity to protect...
; a predominantly alic properties zone between 250mm and 1000 mm from the soil surface; and no diagnostic horizons
Soil horizon
A soil horizon is a specific layer in the land area that is parallel to the soil surface and possesses physical characteristics which differ from the layers above and beneath. Horizon formation is a function of a range of geological, chemical, and biological processes and occurs over long time...
other than an ochric, umbric, albic, andic, ferric, nitic, plinthic or vertic horizon.
Simply put, alisols are poorly drained sand soils with a dense subsurface clay layer, which causes a relatively high concentration of aluminum ions in the root zone.
There exist mixed forms, for example 'gleyic alisol',
that are mainly alisol, but also contain components that are found in gleysols.
Agricultural use
Alisols are acidic (increased by limited drainage) and therefore need liming, they contain few nutrients and therefore need fertilizer, and they do not have much surface coherence so they are easily eroded.In some alisols amount of aluminum is so high that plants can be poisoned by it.
Encyclopedia Brittanica mentions oil palm, cotton, and maize (corn) as crops suitable to be grown on this soil.