Soil subgroup

Argiudol 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.
SuborderUdolMolisol humid climate (udic moisture regime): the profile almost never spends more than three months dry.
Great groupArgiudolWithin the Udol 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.

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.

Most common surface texture
Silt loam
Most common drainage
Moderate
Typical effective depth
86 cm

Where it is found

According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 2.056.109 ha, spread over 32 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 Ríos826.884 ha
Corrientes481.860 ha
Santa Fe480.446 ha
Buenos Aires264.070 ha
Misiones2.500 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 37 (low); half of the units fall between 34 and 45.

Land capability

II
III

class II: 18% · class III: 80% · class IV: 2%

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 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.

Corrientes

San Gregorio · San Juan · Tres Marias · San Ignacio · A? Curupi · Potrero 9 Monzon · Aeropuerto · El Control I · La Correntina · Aguay · La Nela · Santa Maria · Viruta · Santa Victorina · Portillo

Entre Ríos

Escriña · Crespo · Banderas · Los Charrúas · Estancia Los Amigos · La Blanqueada · General Racedo · Colonia Once · Cuatro Bocas · Gonzalez Calderón · Arroyo Genacito · Arroyo Carrasco · Aranguren · La Tablada · San Roque · Herradura · La Luisa · El Talar I · Los Tajamares · La Yunta · San Alfonso · Pilar · El Carmen · Gualeguaychú · La Abadía · Antonio Tomás · San Pablito · Las Mulas · Paso Raigón · Caraguatá · Damasio · Larroque · Tala · La Jaula · El Ombú · Pueblito Norte · Alcaráz · El Diecisiete

Buenos Aires

Solis · Portela · Ramallo · Capitan Sarmiento · Peyrano · Cañada Honda · Capilla del Senor

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