Soils map of Argentina
Soils of Argentina classified by the National Institute of Technology and Agriculture (INTA), which outlined the Argentine regions based on the classification used worldwide (Soil Taxonomy of the USA) after working during many years of field trips, studies of laboratory and scientific works.
This also takes into account the productive capacity of each soil, their names seem very difficult, but their relationship is directly linked to their training.
1) Entisoles (from the Latin ent .: youth), or also called "brown floors". They are soils of incipient formation, with materials that were accumulated by water, wind or the force of gravity. These weakly developed soils are located in many areas of the country, although they always do so along river valleys. In addition, although the actions of men get better, they have low fertility, so they are unfavorable for crops.
2) Vertisols (from the Latin verto: to pour), are heavy, clayey soils that are difficult to work, since when wet they expand and when they dry they crack. Although they usually have good nutrient content, their use is restricted for agricultural activity. But they can be good pastoral areas. These are preferably located in Corrientes and Entre Ríos.
3) Inceptisols (from the Latin Inseptum: beginning), are brown soils, associated with humid climates. They are also incipient, little evolved and with a certain accumulation of organic matter and nutrients that makes it suitable for cultivation. These are naturally covered by forests, and are located in the valleys of Salta, Jujuy, the Tucumana basin and the valleys of the Andean Patagonia.
4) Aridisoles (arid), are soils of arid regions with very low organic matter content and low fertility. For this absence of nutrients is that it has very clear colors and its materials are very easily erodible. These soils are covered by hard grasses, so they are used for the grazing of small livestock and resistant to these conditions. They are generally located from the Puna to the south of Santa Cruz.
5) Molisols (from the Latin molis: soft), or also called "black soils". These are loose and dark soils, since they have a high proportion of organic matter and good drainage. They are the most fertile and have the greatest economic value in the country. This includes most of the soils called Chernozem, brunizem, prairie, chestnut and brown. These are found in the large areas of the Chaco-Pampean plain.
6) Alfisols, or also called "gray floors". They are clay soils of low permeability, generally wet, and their content of organic matter is low to medium, so they are not suitable for agriculture. These are mostly found in the Chaqueña region.
7) Oxisols (oxide). They are red soils of humid subtropical climate. At first they were called lateritic, because of their color due to the oxidation of rocks with a high content of iron. These are not very fertile, due to their porosity and to be washed by the abundant precipitations. They are preferably found in Misiones and in the northeast of Corrientes.
8) Spodosols. They are acid soils, with a low proportion of nutrients, which makes them unsuitable for agriculture. These are typical of the forest areas of Tierra del Fuego.
9) Histosols (from the Greek histos: tissue). They are soils very rich in organic matter and little decomposed, they are usually characteristic of peat bogs, mallines and some fluvial terraces. They are usually very swampy, and of little agricultural value. These are located in Tierra del Fuego and in the mallines of Andean Patagonia.
10) Lithosols, usually these refer to the sandy accumulations formed by the wind. It does not have organic matter and its productivity is scarce and they are easily erodible. We can find these soils in the wide arid region of our country.
This also takes into account the productive capacity of each soil, their names seem very difficult, but their relationship is directly linked to their training.
1) Entisoles (from the Latin ent .: youth), or also called "brown floors". They are soils of incipient formation, with materials that were accumulated by water, wind or the force of gravity. These weakly developed soils are located in many areas of the country, although they always do so along river valleys. In addition, although the actions of men get better, they have low fertility, so they are unfavorable for crops.
2) Vertisols (from the Latin verto: to pour), are heavy, clayey soils that are difficult to work, since when wet they expand and when they dry they crack. Although they usually have good nutrient content, their use is restricted for agricultural activity. But they can be good pastoral areas. These are preferably located in Corrientes and Entre Ríos.
3) Inceptisols (from the Latin Inseptum: beginning), are brown soils, associated with humid climates. They are also incipient, little evolved and with a certain accumulation of organic matter and nutrients that makes it suitable for cultivation. These are naturally covered by forests, and are located in the valleys of Salta, Jujuy, the Tucumana basin and the valleys of the Andean Patagonia.
4) Aridisoles (arid), are soils of arid regions with very low organic matter content and low fertility. For this absence of nutrients is that it has very clear colors and its materials are very easily erodible. These soils are covered by hard grasses, so they are used for the grazing of small livestock and resistant to these conditions. They are generally located from the Puna to the south of Santa Cruz.
5) Molisols (from the Latin molis: soft), or also called "black soils". These are loose and dark soils, since they have a high proportion of organic matter and good drainage. They are the most fertile and have the greatest economic value in the country. This includes most of the soils called Chernozem, brunizem, prairie, chestnut and brown. These are found in the large areas of the Chaco-Pampean plain.
6) Alfisols, or also called "gray floors". They are clay soils of low permeability, generally wet, and their content of organic matter is low to medium, so they are not suitable for agriculture. These are mostly found in the Chaqueña region.
7) Oxisols (oxide). They are red soils of humid subtropical climate. At first they were called lateritic, because of their color due to the oxidation of rocks with a high content of iron. These are not very fertile, due to their porosity and to be washed by the abundant precipitations. They are preferably found in Misiones and in the northeast of Corrientes.
8) Spodosols. They are acid soils, with a low proportion of nutrients, which makes them unsuitable for agriculture. These are typical of the forest areas of Tierra del Fuego.
9) Histosols (from the Greek histos: tissue). They are soils very rich in organic matter and little decomposed, they are usually characteristic of peat bogs, mallines and some fluvial terraces. They are usually very swampy, and of little agricultural value. These are located in Tierra del Fuego and in the mallines of Andean Patagonia.
10) Lithosols, usually these refer to the sandy accumulations formed by the wind. It does not have organic matter and its productivity is scarce and they are easily erodible. We can find these soils in the wide arid region of our country.