[Redbaron]

Actually that is quite to the point. The Ukrainian "Black" soil is very similar to the heartland old tallgrass prairie soils found in the US. Basically the prime land that starts in parts of Indiana and encompasses most of Illinois Kansas etc.. of our corn belt and a small sliver even passes south through Oklahoma and into the "Texas blackland prairies" region. Very productive and characteristically with a black, extraordinarily deep, mollic epipedon. Quite rare in the rest of the world, and besides USA and Ukraine almost never seen except in local patches, especially that deep. Certain parts of the steppe are quite similar to our tallgrass prairies. It is THE prime agricultural land, bar none. But it is in rapid decline due to conventional agricultural methods.

Here in Oklahoma most of it blew away in the wind during the dust bowl. But where you can find it, awesome for growing the tastiest tomatoes.