Soil great group
Natrargid
Of the Argid 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.
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 | Aridisol | Soil arid climate: water is lacking most of the year and the profile accumulates what the rain cannot wash away (carbonates, gypsum, salts) or clay from more humid times. |
|---|---|---|
| Suborder | Argid | Aridisol with a clay accumulation horizon, inherited from a more humid past climate. |
| Great group | Natrargid | Within the Argid 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. |
What it means for farming
Without irrigation there is no agriculture: they are soils of native woodland, extensive grazing or, with water, irrigated oases (Mendoza, San Juan, the valleys of the NOA).
- Most common surface texture
- Sandy 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 10.840.723 ha, spread over 35 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 |
|---|---|
| Chubut | 4.268.215 ha |
| Santa Cruz | 3.856.774 ha |
| Río Negro | 2.399.315 ha |
| Buenos Aires | 249.112 ha |
| Córdoba | 43.601 ha |
| Neuquén | 23.706 ha |
Districts where it is most common
- Deseado · Santa Cruz
- Mártires · Chubut
- Magallanes · Santa Cruz
- Gastre · Chubut
- Paso de Indios · Chubut
- Río Chico · Santa Cruz
- Florentino Ameghino · Chubut
- Valcheta · Río Negro
- 25 de Mayo · Río Negro
- Pichi Mahuida · Río Negro
- Sarmiento · Chubut
- Conesa · Río Negro
- Languiñeo · Chubut
- El Cuy · Río Negro
- Avellaneda · Río Negro
- Telsen · Chubut
- Patagones · Buenos Aires
- Adolfo Alsina · Río Negro
- Río Senguer · Chubut
- Escalante · Chubut
How productive it is
Where it is the main soil of the map unit, the productivity index has a median of 24 (low); half of the units fall between 18 and 42.
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.
Subgroups on the maps
- Natrargid típico
- Natrargid ustólico
- Natrargid arídico
- Natrargid borólico
- Natrargid xerólico
- Natrargid háplico
- Natrargid haploxerólico
- Natrargid lítico
- Natrargid lítico rúptico árgico
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)