Soil subgroup

Natralbol 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.
SuborderAlbolMolisol with a clear, washed (albic) horizon between the surface and the clay horizon, and water hanging over it in humid times.
Great groupNatralbolWithin the Albol suborder, it has a natric horizon: accumulation of clay with a lot of exchangeable sodium, which disperses the clay and blocks the passage of water and roots.
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
Sandy loam
Most common drainage
Imperfect
Typical effective depth
100 cm

Where it is found

According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 2.239.009 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
Santa Fe1.007.742 ha
Córdoba929.440 ha
Buenos Aires213.859 ha
Chaco40.046 ha
Santiago del Estero36.841 ha
Corrientes9.315 ha
La Pampa1.767 ha

Districts where it is most common

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 17 (very low); half of the units fall between 17 and 29.

Land capability

III
IV
VI

class III: 13% · class IV: 47% · class VI: 33% · class VII: 7%

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 Natralbol 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

Morse · Wheelwright · Arroyo Pantanoso · Villa Moll · El Recuerdo · Patricios · Aaron Castellanos · Comandante Nicanor Otamendi · Rawson · Plomer · Estacion Santo Domingo · Estancia La Salada · Rosales · Goyeneche · Apeadero Las Vaquerias · O'Higgins · Estancia Santo Domingo · Vedia · Wheelwright y el Recuerdo · Santa Isabel

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