Soil subgroup

Argiacuol típico

It is the central concept of the great group: it has its features and none that brings it closer to another group.

What the name says

Soil Taxonomy names are built from parts, and each part says something about the soil. From general to specific:

Taxonomic orderMolisolSoil with a thick, dark surface horizon rich in organic matter (the mollic epipedon), with more than half of its exchange capacity occupied by calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. It forms under grassland.
SuborderAcuolMolisol with excess water: saturated near the surface for part of the year, with redox depletions (gray, mottles) in the profile.
Great groupArgiacuolWithin the Acuol suborder, it has a clay accumulation horizon (argillic): clay washed from the surface accumulated lower.
SubgrouptípicoIt is the central concept of the great group: it has its features and none that brings it closer to another group.

What it means for farming

They are the soils agricultural lands par excellence: the Pampas grassland formed them and most of Argentine agriculture is done on them. They retain water and nutrients; its limitation, when there is one, is below: clay, sodium, calcareous hardpan or drainage.

Most common surface texture
Clay loam
Most common drainage
Imperfectly drain
Typical effective depth
100 cm

Where it is found

According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 696.873 ha, spread over 23 districts.

Loading map…

National map units that list it. The scale is 1:500.000: good for seeing the region, not a single property.

ProvinceArea
Corrientes277.801 ha
Buenos Aires269.556 ha
Entre Ríos92.967 ha
Córdoba36.766 ha
Chaco19.783 ha

Districts where it is most common

It also appears on the detailed maps of: Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos.

Other Argiacuol subgroups

Soil series

Series are the specific soils, named after places, that detailed maps describe under this name. Two properties with the same series have the same soil.

Entre Ríos

Arroyo Pantanoso · Embarcadero Berisso

Buenos Aires

Pueblitos · Tomas Jofre

Soils it shares map units with

Several soils share each map unit. These are the ones most often found alongside this one: on a property, you will likely find them in the nearby low ground or on the next rise.

The definitions are a plain-language summary of the USDA Keys to Soil Taxonomy. The formal definition includes thickness, color and percentage thresholds that are left out here.

Sources