Blackland soil is still considered the most fertile soil in the state of Texas because of its high calcium content. The area is used mostly for grazing beef and dairy cattle on native range and improved pastures. Where is the most fertile land found? [15][16], Amphibians: Frogs and toads in the region include the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), southern leopard frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus), Woodhouse's toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii), Hurter's spadefoot toad (Scaphiopus hurterii), Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad (Gastrophryne olivacea), Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris blanchardi), Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis), green treefrog (Hyla cinerea), spotted chorus frog (Pseudacris clarkii), Strecker's chorus frog (Pseudacris streckeri), and another ten species recorded from limited areas or marginal counties of the Blackland Prairie. Blackland soil is still considered some of the most fertile soil in the state of Texas because of its high calcium content. Land use is divided about equally between cropland and grassland. Texas is a big state that covers 268,601 square miles. The Claypan Area consists of about 6.1 million acres in east-central Texas just east of the Blackland Prairie. It can also be used as general-purpose garden soil. How many acres are considered farmland in Texas? Surface drainage is rapid. While the Steeplechase is a fast-growing tree that can reach up to 2 feet per year and features small, glossy green leaves and tiny oblong cones . 307 votes, 19 comments. Texas has long been regarded as the agricultural Mecca of the United States. They are published by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service. [14][13], Reptiles: Although not particularly abundant, the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) ranges into the Blackland Prairies. The Western Rio Grande Plain comprises about 5.3 million acres in an area of southwestern Texas from Del Rio to Rio Grande City. Surface runoff is moderate to rapid. Why are the Feeding Habits of Farm Animals Different? This produced their estimate that a third of all cropland in that region had lost its topsoil. Fertile Ground: Soil Map Gives the Dirt on US. Strong plants begin with fertile soil. Upland soils are mostly deep, pale-brown through reddish-brown to dark grayish-brown, neutral to alkaline sandy loams, clay loams, and clays; some are deep sands. in association with. They absorb water well, drain well, but don't hold soil moisture. Which Places Have The Richest Soil In The World? The main belt consists of oaklands and savannas and runs from just south of the Red River on the Texas-Oklahoma border through the DallasFort Worth metropolitan area and southward to the vicinity of San Antonio, Bexar County. Ricketts, Taylor H., Eric Dinerstein, David M. Olson, Colby J. Loucks, et al. [5]:311 p. Sources and maps vary on the exact boundaries of the Blackland Prairie and some may include or exclude different portions of peripheral counties. Some other soil scientists, however, are skeptical of Thaler's methodology. This 150,000-acre area lies in the extreme southeastern corner of Texas. Mountains tend to be more fertile than valleys and plains. Juniper and mesquite grow on the relatively higher breaks. Many areas are also managed for wetland wildlife habitat. Improved pastures are scattered throughout and are used for grazing beef and dairy cattle and for hay production. Upland soils are mostly deep, grayish-brown, slightly acid loams with loamy and clayey subsoils. Brush control and limited soil moisture are the major soil-management problems. The Grand Prairie comprises about 6.3 million acres in North Central Texas. Few, if any, species are restricted to these prairie, however, and the effect on distribution is mainly negative." Crops grown in the state include almonds, apricots, figs, dates, walnuts, pistachios, prunes and olives. About one-half of the marsh is fresh; one-half is salty. Outcrops of red beds, geologic materials, and associated reddish soils have led some scientists to use the name Red Plains. Limestone underlies the soils in the southeastern part. The Pampas includes parts of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. 1. Salt spots are a concern in some areas. This is made possible by the warm weather and the even rainfall received in the state. A soil survey is the systematic description, classification, and mapping of soils in an area. These soils are predominantly formed by wind-blown, silt-sized particles, called loess. The Central Rio Grande Plain comprises about 5.9 million acres in an area of South Texas from Live Oak County to Hidalgo County. 1% of the world's ice-free soil, with pockets in New Zealand, Northwest USA, Chile, Kenya, Indonesia and Japan. Midland is the hub of a 12-county ranching region noted for Hereford cattle. Along the river bottoms across the area and the broad plains to the southeast of Austin the soils are often deep sandy loams. [4] Some groups estimate that less than 0.1% of the area is remaining. 4% of the total fieldwork. 0.64% [1] The Texas Blackland Prairies are a temperate grassland ecoregion located in Texas that runs roughly 300 miles (480 km) from the Red River in North Texas to San Antonio in the south. The prairie was named after its rich, dark soil. According to Soil Alive1, there are four types of soils in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The major soils are mostly deep, brown or gray alkaline clays and loams. nematodes are present in a soil.Contact your coun-ty Extension agent for additional information. Although this soil is highly productive and extremely fertile, erosion of the silt-sized particles by flowing water is a major concern. Land use is mainly grazing lands and cropland. Although 70% of the agricultural economy of Vermont is accounted for by dairy, a variety of food products like apples, honey, corn, maple syrup, etc., are popularly cultivated. Get your free copy of the 20202021 Texas Almanac eBook. This makes it one of the rarest and most endangered ecosystems in the world. 7% of the world's ice-free land. Surface drainage is very slow. Alluvial soils are found on the Coastal Plain. The mollisols are widely known as the best soils in the United States. The area lies west of the North Central Prairies and extends from the edge of the Edwards Plateau in Tom Green County northward into Oklahoma. Because of the soil and climate, this ecoregion is ideally suited to crop agriculture. Many soils have a large amount of lime in the lower part, and a few others are saline; some are shallow and stony. Bottomland soils are mostly deep, dark-gray or brown, alkaline loams and clays. The state soil of New Mexico is the Penistaja soil. during the first nine years of this decade, with potatoes accounting for 30 percent of the total. Bottomland soils along the Red and Brazos rivers are reddish silt loams and clays. The Coast Prairie includes about 8.7 million acres near the Gulf Coast. Brush control, wind and water erosion, and limited soil moisture are the major management concerns. 78 people per square mile),[5]:3 p. in 2019 it was nearly 29,000,000 (96 people per square mile). The most fertile . The lack of soil moisture and wind erosion are the major soil-management problems. The rich black 'waxland' soil of these prairies is almost proof against burrowing rodents, which penetrate the region only along some sandy stream bottoms, while the open country tempts jack rabbits, coyotes, and other plains species eastward slightly beyond their usual bounds. Vegetables like cabbages, cucumbers, green beans, onions, potatoes and sweet corn, are also produced. Surface drainage is rapid. Places with the richest soil in the world are Eurasian Steppe; Mesopotamia; from Manitoba, Canada, as far south as Kansas; the central valley of California; Oxnard plain and the Los Angeles basin; Pampas lowlands of Argentina and Uruguay.. What race is most fertile? Most of the almost treeless and uninhabited area is in marsh vegetation, such as grasses, sedges, and rushes. Important prairie plants included little bluestem, yellow indiangrass, big bluestem, tall dropseed, and a variety of wildflowers including gayfeathers, asters, Maximilian sunflower, wild indigos and compass plant. The land was so valuable, crops were planted abruptly up to the roadsides, seldom fenced, and riparian areas were cleared right to the creek banks. Many areas are managed for wetland wildlife. [15][16], Snakes are the most diverse group of reptiles in the region, species include the North American racer (Coluber constrictor), eastern hog-nosed snake (Heterodon platirhinos), prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster), speckled kingsnake (Lampropeltis holbrooki), coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum), yellow-bellied watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster), diamond-backed watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer), rough greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus), western ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus), Graham's crayfishsnake (Regina grahamii), flat-headed snake (Tantilla gracilis), western ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus), and several others. The larger of the two islands is the Fayette Prairie, encompassing 17,000km2 (6,600sqmi), and the smaller is the San Antonio Prairie with an area of 7,000km2 (2,700sqmi). The Steeplechase Arborvitae and Green Giant Arborvitae are both excellent choices for adding greenery to your landscape. Ultisols. The alluvial soil being rich in Potash, Lime and Phosphoric acid, which are ideal for the growth of crops like Sugarcane, etc. The impacts of soil fertility are reflected in most of the Sustainable Development Goals, as they contain economic, social and environmental aspects.The main function provided by a fertile soil is the provision of food, which is very important considering FAO's Zero hunger objective.A fertile soil also provides essential nutrients for plant growth, to produce healthy food with all the . Fragile, leggy, and whisper-light, crane . Like the soils of Nebraska and Illinois, the Tama soils were also influenced by the presence of the prairie grasslands. Soil scientists call this layer the "A-horizon." The land is gently undulating to hilly and well dissected by many streams. D3kyy2F They can also . Agriculture is central to the culture and economy of the state, and as its leading industry, contributes more than $25 billion annually to Nebraskas economy. Land use is mainly rangeland. The Tama soils of Iowa occur in 28 Iowa counties as well as in parts of other, neighboring states. Soil fertility, land prices and the existing opportunities. 4. Other areas occur in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, Italy, Iceland and Hawaii (wikipedia.org) 3 and 6. In historic times, they included the Wichita, Waco, Tonkawa, and Comanche, each of whom were gradually replaced by settled agrarian society. Some small grain, grain sorghums, corn, and hay are grown. It Includes the South Texas Sand Sheet, an area of deep, sandy soils and active sand dunes. The best time to apply iron to your lawn is in the spring, when temperatures are in the 60s to 70s F. Avoid spraying or applying iron during hot weather. Other crops grown in the state include oats and hay, red clover, flaxseed, rye and wheat. They can also be found in the belt of Illinois and Iowa. Some areas are in improved pastures. The North Central Prairie occupies about 7 million acres in North Central Texas. Since 1975 the U.S. consumption of vegetables has steadily increased. Themollisols are widely known as the best soils in the United States. Extremely fertile and of neutral pH,mollisolsconstitute a large part of the Wheat Belt and the wheat-growing area of Palouse in eastern Washington. Hunting leases are a major source of income. Bottomland soils are mostly well-drained, dark-brown or gray loams and clays. Over to the East, we have Backland Prairie soils. Texas State Historical Association. The correct answer is Laterite soils. Find out the correct way to pronounce Mexiaalong with hundreds of other places all across Texasby downloading our helpful Pronunciation Guide Hunting leases are a major source of income. Surface drainage is slow to rapid. Peanuts, grain sorghums, small grains, peaches, pecans, and vegetables are grown in some areas. The mineral soils have a surface of dark gray, highly decomposed organic material over a gray, clayey subsoil. The Blackland Prairies consist of about 12.6 million acres of east-central Texas extending southwesterly from the Red River to Bexar County. The United States has 166 million hectares of net cropland area and is ranked second in the world after India, which has 180 million hectares of croplands. The Lower Rio Grande Valley comprises about 2.1 million acres in extreme southern Texas. Some soils on the eastern edge are neutral to slightly acid, grayish clays and loams over mottled clay subsoils (sometimes called graylands). Many areas have shallow soils and rock outcrops, and sizable areas have deep sands. (Risks & Benefits). Around one-fourth of the land area of the state is dedicated to agriculture with a diversity of crops ranging from fresh fruits, vegetables, hay and grains to livestock. New Mexico has a historical tryst with agriculture. A significant acreage is firm enough to support livestock and is used for winter grazing of cattle. East Texas soils. "[5]:394 p. The Blackland Prairie was a disturbance maintained ecosystem prior to the arrival of Europeans. The latest corn suitability ratings -- a measure of farmland productivity by judging factors such as soil fertility, weather patterns and topography -- compiled by Iowa State University proves it . Texas bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) in the Blackland Prairie eco-region, Highway 532 east of Gonzales, Gonzales County, Texas, USA (19 April 2014). While it is difficult to determine with certainty what the most fertile type of soil is, many experts point to chernozem, a type of soil found in Eastern Europe and southern Russia. They involve less tilling, or none at all. The Texas Blackland Prairies ecoregion covers an area of 50,300km2 (19,400sqmi), consisting of a main belt of 43,000km2 (17,000sqmi) and two islands of tallgrass prairie grasslands southeast of the main Blackland Prairie belt; both the main belt and the islands extend northeastsouthwest. Pineywoods eastern: American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans),; western: American badger (Taxidea taxus), western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox); and other fauna listed below]. The key is in making an informed decision. The clay soil is composed of a finely ground mineral matter that is devoid of organic matter. [20], The State of Texas administers a number of state parks and wildlife management areas in the region, however they are mostly located around human-made lakes and riparian zones of rivers and creeks, focusing on recreation, fishing, and hunting, and not prairie conservation. Around 90 percent of its land being used for agriculture, the state ranks second in the nation for agricultural production, after California. Surface drainage is rapid. Some are on the NRCS website. Brush control, water erosion, and low fertility are the major soil concerns in management. Mollisols are considered to be one of the most fertile soils on Earth. But there are ways to farm that also rebuild topsoil. 2007. The soils are mostly deep, dark-colored clays and loams; many are saline and sodic. Several of the larger cities in the state, such as Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Temple, and Waco, are located in the region and the agricultural activity in the area was a significant factor in their growth in the 19th century. Which is the most fertile soil in Texas? "Black gumbo" and "black velvet" are local names for this soil. PTS: 5 DIF: Medium 32. Published soil surveys can be found at some libraries or borrowed through interlibrary loan. This has led to most of the Blackland Prairie ecosystem being converted to crop production, leaving less than one percent remaining. The states agriculture has flourished over the last half a century, now amounting to over a $54 billion industry. Tell us about it! The organic matter of the soil can reach as deep . Some hardwood timber is in the bottomlands. Soil on hilltops in this photo is lighter in color, revealing a loss of fertile topsoil. Sandy soil. The soils are well drained and alkaline. Iowa has some of the richest and most productive of soils in the world. The area is mainly used for growing beef cattle. Woodland management problems include seedling survival, invasion of hardwoods in pine stands, effects of logging on water quality, and control of the southern pine beetle. . Millions of cattle populate the many large feedlots in the area. Much of the area is good deer and dove habitat; hunting leases are a major source of income. The geographical diversity of the state has resulted in four regions and seven life zones with different species of animals and plants thriving in each region. Would you like to submit an article, provide feedback, or just get in touch? It ranges from 30 miles to 80 miles in width and parallels the coast from the Sabine River in Orange County in Southeast Texas to Baffin Bay in Kleberg County in South Texas. The U.S. Forest Service manages the Caddo National Grassland (17,784 acres (71.97km2)) under the multiple-use concept, balancing resource extraction, preservation, and recreation. Regularly watering and using well-draining, rich soil will help these plants thrive. Browse our curated list of helpful links for students and researchers. The Official State soil of California is the San Joaquin soil which occupies large areas of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys. 5.2M subscribers in the Awwducational community. The High Plains area comprises a vast high plateau of more than 19.4 million acres in northwestern Texas. The flat, nearly level treeless plain has few streams to cause local relief. Vertical profile of Houston black clay, which occurs in the Blackland Prairie. The rocky Flint Hills of Kansas remains the largest region still unplowed. Part of the fertile and productive estuarine complex supports marine life of the Gulf of Mexico. For more information, contact the Natural Resources Conservation Service at 101 S. Main, Temple 76501-7602; (254) 742-9800; or visit www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov; click on Information About: Soils.. The total area is about 1.6 million acres of undulating to hilly landscape. The state leads the production of wheat, grapes, strawberries, avocados, lemons, melons, peaches, oranges and plums. [9][6], The soil of the Blackland Prairies, from which the "blackland" gets its name, contains black or dark-gray, alkaline clay in both upland and bottomland areas. Vermont is ranked number one on an average of several factors including farming infrastructure, investments, impact on the ecosystem and others by theUnion of Concerned Scientists. The eastern part contains large areas of badlands. 6 Tips For Growing Red Creeping Thyme In Texas. The Northern Rio Grande Plain comprises about 6.3 million acres in South Texas extending from Uvalde to Beeville. It lies in the southern part of the Great Plains province that includes large, similar areas in Oklahoma and New Mexico. HWoTWm6HTMVqD"bq{w)_-RKL)Iy8VB NpIlqMxmgs9bi~{939_wZ]=+dZcPXhjl\htd6vs.#{;2z{otuw{O{zA?r?ywgWO3otAgOlsn_] W7ll57ZoZtQg[]:wg{@aM5-Mu FCuko2Nox=yXf73l53Ff63wz#t@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ^z|&V_|v`g'X6xf 5/G/}kOU[OE+;~"n0L_{*Kucp~,m;p0-aF%h`V*NM%|p&T{|.H,|phV/C Certain crops and farming techniques do well under certain conditions while others do not. Pretty damn fertile. N/A Explore Search Bottomlands are deep, highly fertile, reddish-brown to dark-gray loamy to clayey soils. Flowers appear from . The best states for farmland include Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, North Dakota, Texas, Iowa, Kentucky, Wyoming, and California. Map of land resource areas showing Texas' soil diversity. The U. S. Bureau of Biological Survey [now the United States Fish and Wildlife Service], led by chief field naturalist Vernon Bailey with a crew of 12 federal field agents conducted a 17-year (1889-1905), statewide survey of the natural history of Texas. Blackland soil is still considered some of the most fertile soil in the state of Texas because of its high calcium content. published 26 December 2012 . (Texas A&M AgriLife photo) Runge died on April 10. Thaler and his colleagues compared that color, as seen from satellites, with direct measurements of soil quality that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has carried out, and found that light brown soil contained so little organic carbon, it really wasn't A-horizon soil at all. The Eastern Cross Timbers area comprises about 1 million acres in a long narrow strip of wooded land that separates the northern parts of the Blackland Prairie and Grand Prairie and extends from the Red River southward to Hill County. The state of New York unofficially recognizes Honeoye as the state soil, which is used in the cultivation of several crops like corn, soy, alfalfa, wheat, vegetables, oats, pasture and hay, grapes and orchards. This type of soil is formed in glacial tills. The state is the largest hay producer in New England. The area can be subdivided into four parts: freshwater, intermediate, brackish, and saline (saltwater) marsh. Farmers can grow grass and harvest hay, rather than corn. These plants, especially maize, is deeply rooted in native cultures and mythologies. Denmark. The most fertile topsoil is entirely gone from a third of all the land devoted to growing crops across the upper Midwest, the scientists say. The smaller silt particles promote the retention of moisture and are abundant in nutrients. Sometimes called swamp maple . Most of the soils are used for growing irrigated vegetables and citrus, along with cotton, grain sorghums, and sugar cane. Waste management on dairy farms is a more recent concern. A s the United Nations warns of drastic worldwide losses of fertile soil, Illinois should step up its own efforts to stop farmland from eroding away.. A U.N. report released Thursday in Geneva . Vertisols - 2.5% of the world's ice-free land. Upland soils are mostly deep, light-colored, neutral to alkaline sands and loams. per mature tree every third year. The state has a desert climate with abundant wind and sun. Major crops are cotton, grain sorghums, corn, hay, and forage crops, most of which are irrigated. %PDF-1.6 % Texas soils are complex because of the wide diversity of climate, vegetation, geology, and landscape. Hence, conservation practices and management of the soil is vital to its health and performance. New York is often associated with a bustling cityscape. Bottomland soils along the major rivers are deep, reddish-brown, neutral to alkaline silt loams and clays. Irrigated grain sorghums and vegetables are grown along the Rio Grande. This soil has a high humus content and high levels of phosphorus. This geologic region averages 60 miles wide and stretches from the southern Nebraska . 4, Oklahoma at No. We are the premier source for trusted information about Texas. It's the "black, organic, rich soil that's really good for growing crops," says Evan Thaler, a Ph.D. student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. It's full of living microorganisms and decaying plant roots, also called organic carbon. The Rolling Plains include 21.7 million acres east of the High Plains in northwestern Texas. The color of bare soil varies, and that variation is related to soil quality. Even the study's critics, though, agree that topsoil is endangered. Vermont has a variety of soils, but its official state soil is the Tunbridge soil, which is loamy and acidic in nature. The area is mostly rangeland with significant areas of cropland. Lawns Gardening Plants. More than 1,300 different kinds of soil are recognized in Texas. New Mexico is the biggest cultivator of chile pepper in the nation. 7. of 15. . D) A way station for the Underground Railroad. The Flatwoods area includes about 2.5 million acres of woodland in humid Southeast Texas just north of the Coast Prairie and extending into Louisiana. "We're essentially trying to make up for many years of fairly thoughtless practices," she says. The 22.7 million acres of the Edwards Plateau are in South Central Texas east of the Trans-Pecos and west of the Blackland Prairie. [5]:311 & 369 p. The human population of Texas in 1900 was less than 3,000,000 (ca. [15][16], Fish: Among the many fish of the region are spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus), white bass (Morone chrysops), black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus), white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), black bullhead (Ameiurus melas), blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), freckled madtom (Noturus nocturnus), warmouth (Lepomis gulosus), orangespotted sundfish (Lepomis humilis), longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis), freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens). hide caption. Bottomland soils are mostly reddish-brown and sandy to clayey; some are saline. Blackland soils are known as cracking clays because of the large, deep cracks that form in dry weather. Soil fertility, climatic conditions, price of land, average salaries, and ultimately, the most favorable niche. Sandy soil is best used for growing grass and other plants with deep root systems. Ohio's top industry is agriculture, bringing in more than $93 billion. The agriculture industry in California is huge, thanks to the ideal climatic conditions and the fertility of the soil. (4nd ~GjySV)+l@,$ee\ @l_k\a' USY_nfG/ksXprcYU| $[.^E7C0/X,\Yv*=*,QG*b emQNpnrfWf@Uj`L,&z-clLn-gDm6%} ($92IY/9` aoWqD{k5@; `FjQ9K^BDBG1kt}y X9U :~$$ gEVdcTyMlGf;iy*qJrr13R0rx;eQ03n'TB&1h tVR3CxI4^RYxABXrI`,1kMYsngoZrvg@HwT^-d~`Ny\Q0={r*pOZrrf%qMW7J Each has a specific set of properties that affect its use. In conclusion, making the choice to transition into the agriculture business, depends on everything from land prices and soil fertility to climatic and political conditions. Texas. Some areas have light-colored loamy soils over chalky limestone. Mammals: Some species found in the region include Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), Eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), fulvous harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens), white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus)), eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), American beaver (Castor canadensis), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), northern raccoon (Procyon lotor), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), bobcat (Lynx rufus), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and coyotes (Canis latrans). Most soils in Arizona are alkaline and have a pH of between 7 and 8.5. Upland soils are mostly deep, well-drained, brown or reddish-brown, slightly acid loams over neutral to alkaline, clayey subsoils. It is grassland soil and found in Europe, China, Russia, and The Americas. Upland soils commonly have a thin, light-colored, acid sandy loam surface layer over dense, mottled red, yellow, and gray claypan subsoils. The soils of Iowa are found in 28 of the state's 64 counties. 0 The Loess Bluff Region has highly fertile soil, but the soil is very susceptible to erosion. Most cropland is in bottomlands that are protected from flooding. Many soils have large amounts of lime at various depths and some are shallow over caliche. Gray Davis: Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold (in $1,000): Texas: $13,766,527 Iowa: $11,947,894 *San Joaquin Valley*: $11,645,271. This area lies between the Western Cross Timbers and the Rolling Plains. Where is the best and most affordable soil in the United States? Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Thaler's team then expanded their study to fields of corn, soybeans, and other crops within a large area of the upper Midwest that includes much of Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, and Iowa.