Soil subgroup
Haploxerol éntico
It has minimal development: under the dark surface there is no marked B horizon. It is usually sandier and retains less water than the typical one.
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 | Xerol | Molisol Mediterranean climate (xeric moisture regime): it rains in winter and summer is dry. |
| Great group | Haploxerol | Within the Xerol suborder, it It is the simplest of the suborder: it does not have a clay horizon or any other feature that places it in a more specific group.. |
| Subgroup | éntico | It has minimal development: under the dark surface there is no marked B horizon. It is usually sandier and retains less water than the typical one. |
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
- Well drained
- Typical effective depth
- 120 cm
Where it is found
According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 331.047 ha, spread over 12 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 |
|---|---|
| Neuquén | 244.015 ha |
| Río Negro | 87.031 ha |
Districts where it is most common
How productive it is
Where it is the main soil of the map unit, the productivity index has a median of 61 (Well); half of the units fall between 61 and 61.
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.
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)