Soil subgroup

Argiacuol vértico

It has expansive clays: dry cracks or slickensides in the subsoil. When wet it becomes sticky and difficult to work with; when dry it cracks.

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.
SubgroupvérticoIt has expansive clays: dry cracks or slickensides in the subsoil. When wet it becomes sticky and difficult to work with; when dry it cracks.

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
Silt clay loam
Most common drainage
Poorly drained
Typical effective depth
400 cm

Where it is found

According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 609.540 ha, spread over 18 districts.

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

ProvinceArea
Entre Ríos386.454 ha
Corrientes172.502 ha
Misiones50.584 ha

Districts where it is most common

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

How productive it is

Where it is the main soil of the map unit, the productivity index has a median of 24 (low); half of the units fall between 17 and 27.

Land capability

IV
V

class IV: 20% · class V: 77% · class VI: 3%

Taken from the maps that include this data. A map unit with several soils has a single index, and it is only attributed to the dominant soil.

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.

Corrientes

Curbelo · Don Hilario · San Antonio · Maria Teresita · Centinelli · Sarli Ii · Las Rosas

Entre Ríos

Lucas Norte · La Lata · Garat · El Altillo · Los Conquistadores · Moreira · Palenque · Arroyo Bellaco · Feliciano · Cañada Carballo · Arroyo Nogoyá · Yeso · Colonia Santa Juana · Santa Juana · La Clarita · Gallo · Puesto Sarandí · Rincón del Yatay · Arroyo Malo

Buenos Aires

Chocori · Alejandro Korn · Payro · Carhue · Lima · Estacion Chas

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