Gumbo soil is typically defined by the overwhelming presence of very fine particles of clay, but often has small amounts of sand and/or organic material.[1]

Missouri gumbo soil with soybean seedlings
Northern Missouri "no-till" soybean crop in gumbo soil

Although gumbo soils are exceptional at water retention, they can be difficult to farm, as precipitation will turn gumbo into a unique muddy mess that is challenging to work using large commercial farming equipment. Avoiding tillage of this type of soil through no-till farming appears strongly correlated with higher yields, as compared to more traditional tilling practices.[2]

References

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  1. ^ There's Science Behind Sticky Gumbo Soil; Billings Gazette
  2. ^ "Drought-tested no-till". 2015-09-02.