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BD4

BD3 landscape
Red volcanic soils on gently undulating rises

    Site Code
BD4


BD3 profile
Haplic, Eutrohpic, Red Ferrosol
    Location
Dunnstown
    Landform
Gently undulating rises
    Geology
Quaternary basalt
    Element
Hillslope
    Slope
3–6%
Horizon
Depth (cm)
Description

A1

0–33

Dark reddish brown (5YR3/4); clay loam; strong structure;
friable; pH 5.5; diffuse boundary to:

B2


33–82


Dark reddish brown (5YR3/3); medium clay; moderate structure; friable; pH 7.0.

Management considerations

This soil is suitable for growing almost any temperate crop, given adequate water, but in the district is used for growing cereals, oil seeds, peas, potatoes, fodder crops, pastures and lucerne. Several successive crops can be grown with little deterioration in soil structure or fertility.


The good physical structure makes this soil ideal for irrigation, and the good drainage results in excellent winter growth of crops and pastures. However, this soil does dry out rather more quickly than grey soils and, as a result, spring growth finishes a little earlier than on grey soils. Because of this, some perennial pasture species (especially white clover and perennial ryegrass) may not persist well without irrigation. Subterranean clover and lucerne grow excellently on this soil.

Analytical data

Site BD4
Sample
depth
pH
EC
NaCl
Ex Ca
Ex Mg
Ex K
Ex Na
Ex Al
Ex Acidity
FC
–10kPa
PWP
–1500kPa
KS
FS
Z
C
Horizon
cm
H2O
CaCl2
dS/m
%
cmolc/kg
cmolc/kg
cmolc/kg
cmolc/kg
mg/kg
cmolc/kg
%
%
%
%
%
%
A1
0–10
6.0
5.3
0.10
N/R
7.3
2.4
0.34
0.35
<10N/R
N/R
N/R
N/R
N/R
N/R
N/R
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