Soil subgroup
Calciustol petrocálcico
It has a petrocalcic horizon—the calcareous hardpan: cemented calcium carbonate—within the meter and a half. Limits the useful depth for roots and water.
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 | Ustol | Molisol from subhumid to semi-arid climate (ustic moisture regime): water is enough in the growing season but there are long dry periods. |
| Great group | Calciustol | Within the Ustol suborder, it has a calcic horizon: calcium carbonate buildup. |
| Subgroup | petrocálcico | It has a petrocalcic horizon—the calcareous hardpan: cemented calcium carbonate—within the meter and a half. Limits the useful depth for roots and water. |
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
- Sandy loam
- Most common drainage
- Moderate
- Typical effective depth
- 100 cm
Where it is found
According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 754.735 ha, spread over 9 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.
| Province | Area |
|---|---|
| La Pampa | 620.420 ha |
| Buenos Aires | 112.750 ha |
| Córdoba | 18.074 ha |
| Santiago del Estero | 3.490 ha |
Districts where it is most common
- Caleu Caleu · La Pampa
- Guatraché · La Pampa
- Hucal · La Pampa
- Villarino · Buenos Aires
- Adolfo Alsina · Buenos Aires
- Puán · Buenos Aires
- Sobremonte · Córdoba
- Lihuel Calel · La Pampa
- Punilla · Córdoba
It also appears on the detailed maps of: Buenos Aires, Santiago del Estero.
How productive it is
Where it is the main soil of the map unit, the productivity index has a median of 28 (low); half of the units fall between 28 and 32.
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 Calciustol 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
Las Barrancas · El Cañon
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