Soil subgroup
Ocracualf típico
It is the central concept of the great group: it has its features and none that brings it closer to another group.
Ocracualf is a name from the 1975 taxonomy, which many INTA soil survey maps were made with. The current edition no longer has this group: today it would be classified as Epiacualf or Endoacualf.
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 | Alfisol | Soil with a clay accumulation horizon (argillic or natric) and good base saturation, but without the thick, dark surface of a Molisol. |
|---|---|---|
| Suborder | Acualf | Alfisol with excess water: saturated near the surface part of the year, with redox depletions. |
| Great group | Ocracualf | Within the Acualf suborder, it It has a clear surface and is poor in organic matter (ochric epipedon). |
| Subgroup | típico | It 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
Acceptable fertility, but the surface layer is thinner and poor in organic matter. In the Pampas region many Alfisoles are sodic or floodable (Natracualfes) and are left for livestock.
- Most common surface texture
- Silt loam
- Most common drainage
- Poor
- Typical effective depth
- 50 cm
Where it is found
According to the 1:500.000 national map, it covers about 418.669 ha, spread over 15 districts.
Loading map…
National map units that list it. The scale is 1:500.000: good for seeing the region, not a single property.
| Province | Area |
|---|---|
| Entre Ríos | 273.118 ha |
| Río Negro | 70.402 ha |
| Santa Fe | 43.119 ha |
| Chaco | 28.846 ha |
| Chubut | 3.184 ha |
Districts where it is most common
- Federal · Entre Ríos
- 25 de Mayo · Río Negro
- La Paz · Entre Ríos
- Villaguay · Entre Ríos
- Feliciano · Entre Ríos
- Tapenagá · Chaco
- 9 de Julio · Santa Fe
- Vera · Santa Fe
- Paraná · Entre Ríos
- Concordia · Entre Ríos
- Gualeguay · Entre Ríos
- Valcheta · Río Negro
- Gastre · Chubut
- Fray Justo Santa María de Oro · Chaco
- Mayor Luis J. Fontana · Chaco
It also appears on the detailed maps of: Entre Ríos, Salta.
How productive it is
Where it is the main soil of the map unit, the productivity index has a median of 18 (very low); half of the units fall between 18 and 18.
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 Ocracualf 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.
Entre Ríos
San Nicasio · Estacas · Santa Elena
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)