GL166

Location: Ballyrogan

Australian Soil Classification: Sodic, Mesotrophic, Red CHROMOSOL (confidence level 1)
General Landscape Description: Low Hills
Site Description: Mid-slope (13%)
Land Unit: Ararat Marine Siltstone
Geology: Cambrian marine sediments

General Land Unit Description: The dominant landform of this land unit is dissected undulating rises (GL171), although there are some rolling low hills (represented by this site) and some undulating plains that are mainly at the footslopes of the rises. The major land element is the gentler footslopes of the undulating rises and plains. The major soil type found on these slopes tend to be reddish and well structured strong texture contrast soils (Chromosols) (GL171). The subsoil can be quite acidic and there may be high aluminium levels in some soils. There is evidence of an occasional bleach horizon. The soils are often quite shallow. The topsoil and subsoils tend to be acidic. The soils on the dissected rolling low hills are generally shallow, although they can be quite well structured. They are commonly sodic Red Chromosols. Banded sedimentary rock outcrop is common on these soil types, especially on the exposed westerly aspects. Gully erosion on the plains below these hills and on the drainage depression is quite severe.




Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil
A1	0-20 cm	Brown (10YR4/3); clay loam; weak medium subangular blocky parting to moderate very fine subangular blocky structure; weak consistence, dry; contains many medium angular coarse quartz pebbles; pH 5.7; clear change to:
Subsoil
B2	20-50 cm	Yellowish red (7.5YR4/6); medium clay; strong medium prismatic parting to strong medium polyhedralstructure; common medium angular quartz pebbles are present; pH 6.5; gradual change to:
B3/C	50-80 cm	Strong brown (7.5YR5/6), with common distinct medium yellowish red (5YR4/6) mottles; light clay; weak medium polyhedral structure; pH 7.0. clear and wavy change to:
C	80-100 cm

• Many coarse fragments above the B2 horizon
• Sodic at depth
• Strong texture contrast between topsoil and subsoil
• Subsoil dispersive when worked when wet

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	0-20	5.7	5.0	0.13	2.4	0.21	<10	8.9	4.1	1.7	0.76	0.21	8	41	29	18	33.2	9.3
B2	20-50	6.5	5.5	0.05				7.1	1.8	5	0.57	0.41	8	18	24	52	30.7	18.6
B3	50-80	7.0	6.0	0.07					0.98	4.6	0.35	0.7	11	26	22	42	34.6	17.4