SW99

Location: Batesford

Australian Soil Classification: Vertic, Mottled-Hypernatric, Grey SODOSOL

General Landscape Description: Undulating rises.
Site Description: Waning slope on side of open depression.
Geology: Moorabool Viaduct.

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

Ap	0 –15 cm	Dark brown (10YR3/3); sandy loam; apedal; pH 5.4; clear boundary to:	SW99 Profile - Note: Surface stripped from soil profile.
A2	15-40 cm	Brown (10YR4/3 moist), conspicuously bleached (2.5Y6/3) with very pale brown to yellow diffuse mottling; loamy sand; apedal structure; very firm consistence dry; pH 6.6; abrupt change to:
Subsoil
B21t	40-90 cm	Dark grey (10YR4/1 moist and dry) with clay coatings and dark yellowish brown (10YR4/6) sandy interiors; strong very coarse prismatic, parting to smaller prismatic and coarse angular blocky / polyhedral structure; strong consistence dry; large slickensides at base of prisms; pH 8.1; clear change to:
B22(ss)t	90-110 cm	Reddish brown (5YR4/4 moist and dry) clay surrounding light olive brown (2.5Y5/3) sandy clay matrix; polyhedral structure; many lenticular clay peds; slickensides evident; pH 9.0; diffuse change to:
B23t	110+ cm	Profile becoming redder and sandier with depth.

• Conspicuously bleached subsurface (A2) horizon.
• Strong texture surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B21) horizon.
• Vertic features (slickensides and lenticular peds) in subsoil.

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (Ap horizon)	Strongly Acid	Low	Non-Sodic	-
Subsoil (B21 horizon)	Moderately Alkaline	Low	Strongly Sodic	Strong-Complete
Deeper Subsoil (at 95-110 cm)	Strongly Alkaline	Low-Medium	Strongly Sodic	Strong-Complete

The surface is strongly acid. The subsoil is moderately alkaline becoming strongly alkaline at depth.

Salinity rating is low in the surface and upper subsoil becoming moderate at depth.

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	0-5	5.4	4.7	0.14		2.8	1.6	0.42	0.38
A2	20-35	6.6	5.9	0.12		0.73	0.65	0.07	0.59
B21	50-70	8.1	7	0.33	0.02	4.6	6.8	0.7	6.7
B22	95-110	9	8	0.36	0.03	5.2	8.7	0.7	8.8

Horizon	Sample Depth (cm)	Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg	Exchangeable Acidity meq/100g	Organic Carbon %	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	0-5	<10	8.3	2.9	0.29	14.6	6.8	27	47	8	15
A2	20-35		1.5			7.7	2.2	29	55	11	7
B21	50-70					38	19.7	17	29	1	49
B22	95-110							19	31	9	39

Management Considerations:

Subsoil (B) Horizons

• The dense and coarsely structured subsoil is strongly sodic and disperses strongly in water. This will result in restricted root and water movement into the subsoil.