Soil subgroup
Argiudol oxiácuico
It is saturated with water inside the meter, but the water moves and brings oxygen: the gray reduction colors do not appear.
What the name says
Soil Taxonomy names are built from parts, and each part says something about the soil. From general to specific:
| Taxonomic order | Molisol | Soil 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. |
|---|---|---|
| Suborder | Udol | Molisol humid climate (udic moisture regime): the profile almost never spends more than three months dry. |
| Great group | Argiudol | Within the Udol suborder, it has a clay accumulation horizon (argillic): clay washed from the surface accumulated lower. |
| Subgroup | oxiácuico | It is saturated with water inside the meter, but the water moves and brings oxygen: the gray reduction colors do not appear. |
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.
It is the emblematic soil of the Pampa Ondulada: Pergamino, Rojas, Arrecifes. Deep, dark, well drained, with a textural B that retains water but can slow down roots when it is very clayey.
Where it is found
It does not appear on the national map; on the detailed maps it adds up to about 11.788 ha, across 6 districts.
| Province | Area |
|---|---|
| Buenos Aires | 11.788 ha |
Districts where it is most common
- General Arenales · Buenos Aires
- Leandro N. Alem · Buenos Aires
- Lincoln · Buenos Aires
- Bragado · Buenos Aires
- General Viamonte · Buenos Aires
- Junín · Buenos Aires
It also appears on the detailed maps of: Buenos Aires.
Other Argiudol 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.
Buenos Aires
Teodelina
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
- Soil Survey Staff. (2014). Claves para la Taxonomía de Suelos, 12.ª edición. USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service. · Dominio público (USDA)
- INTA · Dominio público (carta 1:500.000)
- INTA - Instituto de Suelos - CIRN. (2023). Cartas de Suelos República Argentina - Provincia de Buenos Aires (2.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. · CC BY 4.0