Arkansas is a leading producer of rice, soybeans, cotton, poultry, and aquaculture. The state’s topography is diverse, with the Ozark Mountains in the northwest corner and the Arkansas Delta in the southeast.
This diversity allows for a wide variety of crops to be grown. Arkansas’s climate is also conducive to agriculture.
The state has hot summers and mild winters. This means that crops can be grown year-round.
There are also plenty of rivers and streams, which provide irrigation for fields.
Plant Hardiness Zones for Arkansas
Let us start by looking at the US Plant Hardiness Zone Map of the state.
Plant Hardiness Zone Map Of Arkansas
Climate
Arkansas climate is mainly humid subtropical with hot and humid summers and mild to cool winters. The state zone ranges from 6b to 8a.
Summers are warm and humid in Arkansas, with average high temperatures reaching 93°F at the peak of July.
Temperatures often exceed 100°F during the summer and occasionally reach 110°F in the south.
Winters are mild but occasionally get temperatures below freezing.
Precipitation
The average annual rainfall in Arkansas ranges from 40-60 inches, with the southeast portion and the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains wetter than the rest.
Snowfall occurs in the northern half of the state, while occasional ice storms occur in the south.
Soil Type
The map showing the ecoregions of the state is as follows:-
Ecoregions Map of Arkansas
Now, let us see the distribution of soil orders of the state.
Soil Order Of Arkansas
| Soil / Sub Order | Location | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Entisols/Fluvents | In the Boston and Ouachita Mountains | 1. Fluvents are the more or less freely drained Entisols that formed in recent water-deposited sediments. |
| Vertisols/Aquerts | In the Mississippi alluvial plains and some parts of Arkansas Valleys | 1. Aquerts are the wet Vertisols. Drainage of cropland presents special problems since the saturated hydraulic conductivity of these soils is very low. |
| Ultisols/Udults | Mostly all over the state. | 1. Udults are the more or less freely drained, relatively humus-poor Ultisols that have a udic moisture regime. |
| Alfisols/Aqualfs and Udalfs | In the eastern and southern parts of the state. | 1. Aqualfs have warm and aquic conditions. 2. Udalfs have a udic moisture regime. |
| Inceptisols/Aquepts | In the Mississippi alluvial plains. | 1.Aquepts are wet Inceptisols that require artificial drainage due to their poor natural drainage. |
