Soil subgroup
Paleudol vértico
It has expansive clays: dry cracks or slickensides in the subsoil. When wet it becomes sticky and difficult to work with; when dry it cracks.
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 | Udol | Molisol humid climate (udic moisture regime): the profile almost never spends more than three months dry. |
| Great group | Paleudol | Within the Udol suborder, it is very old and evolved: very thick clay horizon, or a petrocalcic horizon (calcareous hardpan) indicating a long time of formation. |
| Subgroup | vértico | It has expansive clays: dry cracks or slickensides in the subsoil. When wet it becomes sticky and difficult to work with; when dry it cracks. |
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.
In the southeast of Buenos Aires it is usually the one with calcareous hardpan (petrocalcic horizon) at shallow depth.
Where it is found
It does not appear on the national map; on the detailed maps it adds up to about 27.262 ha, across 1 districts.
| Province | Area |
|---|---|
| Corrientes | 27.262 ha |
Districts where it is most common
It also appears on the detailed maps of: Corrientes.
How productive it is
Where it is the main soil of the map unit, the productivity index has a median of 57 (Well); half of the units fall between 55 and 57.
Land capability
class II: 100%
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 Paleudol 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.
Corrientes
Santa Teresita · San Luis · Albardon
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)