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SFS18

Location: Mt Gow

Australian Soil Classification: Calcic, Epipedal, Black VERTOSOL

General Landscape Description: Flat plain.
Site Description: Canola stubble in raised beds. Previously phalaris pasture was grown. Southern Farming Systems (SFS) trial site.
Geology: Weathering basaltic rock.


Image:  SFS 18 landscape
SFS18 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil
Image:  SFS 18 profile
SFS18 Profile
Ap0-20 cmVery dark greyish brown (10YR3/2); large cracks visible at surface; medium clay; strongly pedal, thin surface mulch of fine polyhedral peds or sometimes a thin weak crust fractured by cracks, underlain by coarse polyhedral and subangular blocky structure; very firm to strong consistence dry; pH 5.7; abrupt change to:
Subsoil
B21t20-50 cmVery dark grey (10YR3/1); heavy clay; coarse prismatic, parting to coarse polyhedral structure (main prismatic units clearly defined by deep cracking to 60+ cm depth); slickensides (>50 mm) begin at 45 cm depth; pH 7.0; gradual change to:
B22ss50-70 cmVery dark greyish brown (10YR3/2) with many dark yellowish brown (10YR4/4) mottles; heavy clay; prominent slickensides evident; pH 7.8; gradual change to:
C70+ cmHard rounded weathering basaltic rock; pH 8.6.


Image:  SFS 18 raised bed peds
Soil structure in raised bed.
Image:  SFS 18 Cracking bed farrow
Wide (>10mm) cracks in bed farrow, associated with subsoil structure.
Image:  SFS 18 subsoil peds
Subsoil peds.


Key Profile Features:
  • Clay texture throughout soil profile.
  • Significant cracking when profile is dry.
  • Prominent slickensides in subsoil.

Soil Profile Characteristics:



pH


Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Moderately Acid
Low-Medium
Non-Sodic
None1
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Neutral
Low-Medium
Sodic
Slight2
Deeper subsoil
(at 50+ cm)
Strongly Alkaline
Low-Medium
Strongly Sodic
Moderate
1 Slight dispersion after remoulding. 2 Moderate dispersion after remoulding.
Image:  SFS18 graphs

    The pH in the surface is moderately acid. The pH in the upper subsoil is neutral becoming strongly alkaline with depth.
The salinity rating is low to medium throughout the whole profile.The surface is non sodic. The upper subsoil is sodic becoming strongly sodic with depth.The clay content is moderate throughout the profile.
Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl2)
EC
dS/m
NaCl
%
Exchangeable Cations
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
Ap
0-20
5.7
5.2
0.46
0.03
7.9
7.9
2.4
0.8
B21 (i)
20-30
7.0
6.3
0.43
0.02
7.4
13
2.9
3.6
B21 (ii)
30-50
7.8
7.2
0.31
0.02
7.8
14
2.4
4.8
B22
50-70
8.6
7.8
0.47
0.03
8.1
18
1.9
6.6

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
Oxidisable Organic Carbon
%
Total
Nitrogen
%
Exchangeable Aluminium
mg/kg
Exchangeable Acidity
meq/100g
Field
Capacity
pF2.5
Wilting Point
pF4.2
Coarse Sand
(0.2-2.0 mm)
Fine Sand
(0.02-0.2 mm)
Silt
(0.002-0.02 mm)
Clay
(<0.002 mm)
Ap
0-20
3.3
0.37
5
16
38
23
4
29
17
41
B21 (i)
20-30
44
27
2
26
14
51
B21 (ii)
30-50
47
31
2
26
15
51
B22
50-70
52
35
2
24
17
53
Note: Depths for chemistry and morphology do not match, as soil samples were not collected within the same depths that the morphology was described.

Management Considerations:

Whole Profile
  • Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is considered to be low/medium (estimated at 100 mm) in the upper 70 cm of this soil profile. Effective rooting depth (ERD) is restricted to 70 cm due to the basalt below this depth.
Profile Described By: Richard MacEwan (December 1999).
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