EGC200

Location: Bindi

Australian Soil Classification: Haplic, Lithocalcic, Red DERMOSOL

Map Unit: Bindi (Component 1)
Previous Site Name: EG200

General Landscape Description: Undulating low hills
Site description: Upper north facing slope
Land Use: Grazing on annual pasture
Native Vegetation: Grassy woodland
Geology: Devonian limestone

Surface soil
A1	0 – 17 cm	Dark brown (7.5YR3/2); clay loam; moderate fine (2 – 5 mm) granular structure; firm consistence dry; clear change to:
Subsoil
B21	17 – 30 cm	Reddish brown (2.5YR4/4); medium clay; strong medium (10 – 20 mm) polyhedral structure; very firm consistence dry; few (2 – 10 %) angular limestone pebbles (up to 10 mm in size); gradual change to:
B22	30 – 40 cm	Red (2.5YR4/6); medium clay; strong medium (10 – 20 mm) angular blocky structure; very firm consistence dry; many (20 – 50%) angular tabular limestone pebbles (up to 20 mm in size); gradual change to:
B23	40 – 55 cm	Red (2.5YR4/6); medium clay; very firm consistence dry; abundant (50 – 90 %) angular tabular limestone pebbles (up to 60 mm in size); clear change to:
R	55 – 110+ cm	Fractured limestone becoming impenetrable with depth.

• Lack of texture contrast between the surface (A) horizon and the subsoil (B) horizon.
• The shallow occurrence of limestone rock.

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl2)	EC dS/m	Organic Carbon %	Total Nitrogen %	Exchangeable Aluminium ppm	Exchangeable Acididty meq/100g	Exchangeable Cations				Coarse Sand (0.2-2.0 mm) %	Fine Sand (0.02-0.2 mm) %	Silt (0.002-0.02 mm) %	Clay (<0.002 mm) %	Field Capacity % w/w	Wilting Point % w/w
									Ca	Mg	K	Na
									meq/100g
A1	0-17	5.3	4.6	0.11	4.3	0.38	<10	9.5	7.3	1.5	0.74	0.085	8	18	23	41	34.5	15.5
B21	17-30	5.9	4.7	0.06	1.5	0.14	<10	6.8	8	2.9	0.5	0.11	6	10	11	66	30.6	17.0
B22	30-40	6.2	5.7	<0.05	1.3		12	7.5	8.7	4	0.33	0.15	2	7	16	70	31.8	19.7
B3	40-55	6.2	6.6	<0.05	0.61		14	5.8	8.3	3.9	0.29	0.14	13	7	27	50	24.4	13.9

• Plant available water here is considered to be moderate. Because of the variability in the depth of soil cover within this mapping unit, many soils will have low to very low water-holding capacity. Effective rooting depth is limited to the depth to rock.

• The surface soil here is strongly acid. This is inconsistent given the presence of lime in the subsoil. Lime is added to acid soils is to increase the availability of phosphorus and molybdenum so if soil tests taken across the paddock show the soils are deficient, superphosphate should be applied. If no response is observed, lime may used to alleviate the problem.
• The soils are low in soluble salts.
• Potassium levels are moderate and plant responses to potassium fertiliser are unlikely given the present grazing management practices.
• The nutrient holding capacities of the surface (A1 and B21) horizons are moderate (based on the sum of the exchangeable calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium cations).

• The subsoil would be relatively well drained as there is no sharp increase in clay content at the A/B boundary. The subsoil horizons are non-sodic and not coarsely structured, which will enable plant roots to penetrate easily until they reach rock.

Profile Described By: Heather Adams, Julieanne Sargant and Ian Sargeant, June 2009.