Soil subgroup

Argiustol 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.
SuborderUstolMolisol from subhumid to semi-arid climate (ustic moisture regime): water is enough in the growing season but there are long dry periods.
Great groupArgiustolWithin the Ustol 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
Loam
Most common drainage
Well drained
Typical effective depth
100 cm

Where it is found

According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 2.194.271 ha, spread over 48 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
Santiago del Estero965.504 ha
Buenos Aires691.464 ha
Córdoba424.337 ha
Chaco65.563 ha
Salta24.773 ha
La Pampa18.092 ha
Tucumán4.539 ha

Districts where it is most common

It also appears on the detailed maps of: Buenos Aires, Salta, Santiago del Estero.

How productive it is

Where it is the main soil of the map unit, the productivity index has a median of 54 (average); half of the units fall between 42 and 55.

Land capability

II
III

class II: 41% · class III: 53% · class IV: 5%

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 Argiustol 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

Laguna Puan · Sauce Chico · Cura Malal

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