Physiographic Regions of Arkansas: Ozark Plateaus, Arkansas River Valley, Ouachita Mountains, West Gulf Coastal Plain, and Mississippi River Alluvial Plain

Soil in Arkansas

Soil is one the most precious natural resources in Arkansas as it is the foundation of our most important activity - agriculture.

Test your soil!

• Most of the agricultural activity occurs in the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain.
• A relatively small percentage of the soils in the region were formed by the action of wind (Loess) and are mostly concentrated on what we know as Crowley’s Ridge.Crop productivity on these soils is often limited by their physical properties.
• In the southern part of Arkansas we find Coastal Plain soils, which are marine deposits formed when the ocean covered a good portion of southern Arkansas.
• Some row crop agriculture is also present in the Arkansas River Valley. Soils in this area were formed by deposition of the river, by landslides that moved to the foot slopes, and by the weathering of the existent parent material.
• Crop production in the Ozarks Plateaus and Ouachita Mountains is limited, mainly revolving around pasture lands.

Additional Resources

Soil Testing Laboratory - Marianna

Feed & Fertilizer DivisionArkansas State Plant Board