SW59

Location: Simpson.

Australian Soil Classification: Vertic, Sesquic, Semiaquic PODOSOL

Great Soil Group: podzol

General Landscape Description: Dissected Tertiary Sediments - Undulating Low Hills.
Sites description: Valley side, crest.
Geology: Veneer of Tertiary Hanson Plain Sand overlying Gellibrand Marl colluvium.
Land Use: Dairy cattle grazing.


SW59 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-15 cm	Black (2.5Y2.5/1); sandy loam; pH 5.6; smooth change to:	SW59 Profile. Note: Surface (A1) horizon has been stripped
A2	15-30 cm	Intermittent horizon; conspicuously bleached; clear and wavy change to:
Subsoil
B21s	15/30-60 cm	Mottled yellowish brown (10YR5/8) and very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2); sandy clay loam; weak very fine polyhedral structure; weak to firm consistence dry; weakly cemented 'coffee rock'; pH 5.3; gradual and wavy change to:
B22g	60-90 cm	Light olive brown (2.5Y5/4) with prominent yellow (10YR7/8) to yellowish brown (10YR5/8) mottles; sandy clay; very coarse polyhedral, parting to coarse blocky structure; whitish sand coatings on the larger ped faces; pH 5.5; clear and wavy change to:
B23gss	90+ cm	Light greenish grey (5GY7/1) with brownish yellow (10YR6/8) mottles; heavy clay; very coarse polyhedral, parting to coarse blocky structure; slickensides (>50 mm in size) present; pH 6.3.

• Strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B21) horizon.
• Water logging in the subsoil.
  

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Moderately Acid	Low	Non-Sodic	None
Subsoil (B21 horizon)	Strongly Acid	Low	Non-Sodic	None
Deeper Subsoil (at 90+ cm)	Slightly Acid	Low	-	-

The surface is moderately acid. The subsoil is strongly acid becoming slightly acid with depth.

The salinity rating is low throughout the profile.

Exchangeable Aluminium increases to very high levels in the subsoil.

The clay content increases slightly down the profile.

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl2)	EC (dS/m)	Exchangeable Cations
					Ca	Mg	K	Na
					meq/100g
A1	0-15	5.6	5	0.16	* 5.8	0.87	0.26	0.33
Sporadic A2 not sampled
B21	15/30-60	5.3	4.5	0.08	0.83	1	0.12	0.27
B22	60-90	5.5	4.6	0.08	1.2	2.8	0.14	0.41
B3	90+	6.3	5.2	0.14

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)
A1	0-15	4.6	0.26	<10	12	20	9	24	49	11	9
Sporadic A2 not sampled
B21	15/30-60			150	11	20	11	18	48	2	25
B22	60-90			61	5.7	22	12	18	44	4	33
B3	90+

• Exchangeable aluminium levels are quite high in the strongly acid upper subsoil. This may restrict the growth of aluminium sensitive species.

• Contrast gleyed subsoil - sandy clay to heavy clay represents transition from overlying Hanson Plain Sand to underlying Gellibrand Marl.