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SW95

Location: Batesford

Australian Soil Classification: Vertic (& Calcic), Mottled-Hypernatric, Black SODOSOL

General Landscape Description: Alluvial plain.
Site Description: Flat.
Geology: Alluvium derived from Basalt and Moorabool Viaduct.


Image:  SW95 Landscape
SW95 Landscape.

Soil Profile Morphology:


Surface Soil


Ap0-10 cmVery dark greyish brown (10YR3/2 moist); fine sandy clay loam; granular polyhedral structure; firm consistence dry; pH 6.4:
South West Gasp Pipeline SW95 Profile
SW95 Profile - Note: Ap horizon stripped from soil profile.
Subsoil
B21tss 10-55/60 cmBlack (2.5Y2/1); heavy clay; very coarse prismatic, parting to medium prismatic, parting to coarse angular blocky structure; rigid consistence dry; slickensides (30-100 mm) at base; pH 8.3; gradual change to:

B22gt55/60-100 cm60-75 cm depth: mottled very pale brown (10YR8/3-7/3 moist) with yellowish brown (10YR5/4-5/6 moist) in ped interiors; fine sandy light clay; prominent black vertical root channels and infill between peds; some small manganiferous accumulations;

75-100 cm depth: dark yellowish brown (10YR4/4-4/6 moist); light medium clay; medium prismatic, parting to fine angular blocky structure; sand and small hard calcium carbonate and silicone (CaCO3/Si) nodules (<5%); pH 8.9; diffuse and wavy change to:

B23gk100-130 cmGreyish brown (2.5Y5/2 moist); light clay (silty); medium to coarse irregular prisms, parting to medium angular blocky structure; moderately calcareous; frequent infill into root channels (~50 mm) intervals; pH 8.9:

B24130+ cmMottled light yellowish brown (10YR6/4); sandy clay; weak blocky structure.

Key Profile Features:
  • Strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B21) horizon.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

pH
Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Slightly Acid
Low
None
None
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Moderately Alkaline
Low-Moderate
Strongly Sodic
Strong1
Deeper Subsoil
(at 45-60 cm)
Strongly Alkaline
Very High
Strongly Sodic
Slight2
1 Complete dispersion after remoulding. 2 Strong dispersion after remoulding could be due to the high levels of salt.



Image: SW95 Graphs

The surface is slightly acid. The subsoil is moderately alkaline becoming strongly alkaline at depth.Salinity rating is low in the surface. The subsoil is low to moderate becoming very high in the deeper subsoil.The soil is non sodic in the surface and strongly sodic in the subsoil.The clay content increases markedly at the A/B boundary.


Horizon
Sample Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl2)
EC
1:5
NaCl
%
Exchangeable Cations
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
Ap
0-10
6.4
5.8
0.25
10
4.9
0.4
0.5
B21tss
10-55
8.3
7.4
0.44
0.07
7
11
0.3
4.5
B22gt
55-90
8.9
8.1
0.72
0.13
4.3
8.1
0.2
4.9
B23
90-130
8.9
8.4
1.5
0.33
5.1
11
0.3
7.3

Horizon
Sample Depth
(cm)
Organic Carbon
%
Exchangeable Acidity
meq/100g
Nitrogen
%
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
0-10
2.9
8.5
0.27
33.0
12.9
3
31
31
29
B21tss
10-55
36.1
18.3
2
26
25
44
B22gt
55-90
30.5
15.0
2
37
25
36
B23
90-130
40.9
23.1
1
8
39
49


Management Considerations:

Subsoil (B) Horizons

  • The subsoil has high levels of soluble salts, which is likely to restrict the growth of salt-sensitive species.

Profile Described By: Richard McEwan (February 1999).
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