Coombe soil series GB
A representative soil profile of the series (Calcaric Cambisols) in England. (Cranfield University 2021. The Soils Guide. Available: www.landis.org.uk. Cranfield University, UK.)
Soils classified and described by the World Reference Base for England and Wales:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/wrb_list.cfm
Coombe soils are typically deep in the valley bottoms, but there are shallow soils on the valley sides. Soil variation is related to the thickness of drift over the chalk. In the Coombe series, typical brown calcareous earths, the subsoil merges downwards into thick, flinty chalky drift.
Coombe soils are developed in flinty, chalky drift in broad valleys and on the lower dipslope of the Chalk in southern England. There are small areas in dry valleys on the Yorkshire Wolds. The soils are well drained, calcareous, fine silty, and often very stony.
The soils are well drained (Wetness Class 1) and surplus winter rain passes easily downwards through the soil and the underlying chalk. Rooting depth is generally adequate and most component soils are only slightly droughty for arable crops except over harder chalk beds such as the Chalk Rock and Melbourne Rock.
The dominant crops are cereals and leys. Top fruit suffers from iron deficiency, but other trace element deficiencies are rare. Though otherwise sheltered, sensitive crops in valley floors are vulnerable to frost. There are ample opportunities for autumn landwork and a shorter though adequate period in spring. These soils may be compacted by badly timed cultivations but are easy to work and recover fairly easily from damage. In the South West cropping is influenced by the farming system on adjacent shallow soils. Cereals and leys are the main crops, with root crops, fruit and vegetables locally. Top fruit suffers from iron deficiency but other trace element deficiencies are rare.
Where the soils are in dry valleys, cropping is influenced by the farming system on adjacent shallow soils. Cereals and grass leys are the main crops, with root crops, fruit and vegetables locally, especially in east Kent. Top fruit suffers from iron deficiency but other trace element deficiencies are rare. Valley bottoms are frost-hollows but are less exposed than many slopes.
Woodland and old grassland includes many calcicolous plant species. Larkey Valley Wood in Kent has hornbeam and hazel coppice below oak and ash standards with a ground flora dominated by bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis). Sanicle (Sanicula europaea) and sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) occur below beech high forest on Andover soils together with a variety of orchids, for example, the bird's-nest orchid (Neottia nidus-avis) and the lesser butterfly orchid (Platanthera bifolia).
For additional information about the soil association, visit:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/series.cfm?serno=23...
For more information on the World Reference Base soil classification system, visit:
www.fao.org/3/i3794en/I3794en.pdf
Coombe soil series GB
A representative soil profile of the series (Calcaric Cambisols) in England. (Cranfield University 2021. The Soils Guide. Available: www.landis.org.uk. Cranfield University, UK.)
Soils classified and described by the World Reference Base for England and Wales:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/wrb_list.cfm
Coombe soils are typically deep in the valley bottoms, but there are shallow soils on the valley sides. Soil variation is related to the thickness of drift over the chalk. In the Coombe series, typical brown calcareous earths, the subsoil merges downwards into thick, flinty chalky drift.
Coombe soils are developed in flinty, chalky drift in broad valleys and on the lower dipslope of the Chalk in southern England. There are small areas in dry valleys on the Yorkshire Wolds. The soils are well drained, calcareous, fine silty, and often very stony.
The soils are well drained (Wetness Class 1) and surplus winter rain passes easily downwards through the soil and the underlying chalk. Rooting depth is generally adequate and most component soils are only slightly droughty for arable crops except over harder chalk beds such as the Chalk Rock and Melbourne Rock.
The dominant crops are cereals and leys. Top fruit suffers from iron deficiency, but other trace element deficiencies are rare. Though otherwise sheltered, sensitive crops in valley floors are vulnerable to frost. There are ample opportunities for autumn landwork and a shorter though adequate period in spring. These soils may be compacted by badly timed cultivations but are easy to work and recover fairly easily from damage. In the South West cropping is influenced by the farming system on adjacent shallow soils. Cereals and leys are the main crops, with root crops, fruit and vegetables locally. Top fruit suffers from iron deficiency but other trace element deficiencies are rare.
Where the soils are in dry valleys, cropping is influenced by the farming system on adjacent shallow soils. Cereals and grass leys are the main crops, with root crops, fruit and vegetables locally, especially in east Kent. Top fruit suffers from iron deficiency but other trace element deficiencies are rare. Valley bottoms are frost-hollows but are less exposed than many slopes.
Woodland and old grassland includes many calcicolous plant species. Larkey Valley Wood in Kent has hornbeam and hazel coppice below oak and ash standards with a ground flora dominated by bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and dog's mercury (Mercurialis perennis). Sanicle (Sanicula europaea) and sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) occur below beech high forest on Andover soils together with a variety of orchids, for example, the bird's-nest orchid (Neottia nidus-avis) and the lesser butterfly orchid (Platanthera bifolia).
For additional information about the soil association, visit:
www.landis.org.uk/services/soilsguide/series.cfm?serno=23...
For more information on the World Reference Base soil classification system, visit:
www.fao.org/3/i3794en/I3794en.pdf