Soil Orders

Entisols

Newer soils with little or no profile development with properties that are closely related to the parent material. Management is important, and this soil can be found in areas like Colorado, Wyoming, and Nevada.

Inceptisols

Soil in the early stages of soil formation with few diagnostic horizons, but are further developed than entisols.

Spodosols

Acidic, infertile soils. Only make up 3% of global area. Coarse in texture, but can be productive with high fertilizer input.

Ultisols

Highly weathered soils, often found with oxisols. Usually developed under forest in humid tropics or subtropics. They make up 10% of the US, in southern state areas like South Carolina or Georgia. They can produce well if they are managed properly.

Histisols

Soils formed in wetland areas, which are high in organic matter due to an accumulation of plant residue. These soils can be highly productive when drained.

Andisols

Soils that have developed in areas of recent volcanic erruptions and has since only undergone mild weathering. These soils aren't common, but are highly productive and easily managed.

Gelisols

Soils with permanently frozen layers of permafrost or cryoturbation. Found in very cold regions and have little or no agricultural significance.

Oxisols

The oldest, most highly weathered of the soil orders. Found in humid tropics and rainforests, red in color, infertile, very acidic, and dominated by iron and aluminum oxides.

Mollisols

The world's most productive soils. They are dark in color, high in organic matter, and have good structure. They are found in areas like the great plains in the US and mostly used for grain production.

Alfisols

These soils are mildly acidic with a high clay content. They make up 15% of the US in areas like Ohio, Indiana, and northeast Missouri. They can be as productive as Mollisols with proper management.

Aridisols

These soils make up 12% of the global land area. They are generally low in terms of productivity and mainly used as pasture. Management includes irrigation, manure, and fertilizers.

Vertisols

This soil order is hard to manage. To do so you would need proper equipment and understand timing to avoid erosion. They have high levels of shrink swell clay. Huge cracks occur during the dry season, and form large puddles when the cracks fill in when the soil is wet.