VIT1

	Location: Rutherglen
*Aust. Soil Class*: Sodic, Mesotrophic, Brown DERMOSOL

VIT1 landscape

VIT1 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

Ap	0-15 cm	Brown (7.5YR4/3); fine sandy clay loam; weak coarse blocky structure; hard-setting surface condition; firm to very firm consistence (dry); many macropores present; pH 5.4; clear change to:	Vit1 profile
Subsoil
B1	15-30 cm	Strong brown (7.5YR4/6); light clay (fine sandy); weak to moderate subangular blocky structure; many fine to medium macropores; firm consistence (slightly moist); pH 6.0; gradual change to:
B21	30-50 cm	Strong brown (7.5YR5/6) with few (5%) dark red (2.5YR4/6) mottles; light medium clay (fine sandy); moderate – strong, medium to fine polyhedral structure; weak consistence (moist); few (5%) medium sized (5 mm) ferromanganiferous nodules; roots common to 60 cm; pH 6.1; gradual change to:
B22	50-70 cm	Brownish yellow (10YR6/6) with many (40%) strong brown (7.5YR5/6) mottles; medium clay; moderate - strong, medium to fine subangular blocky structure; weak consistence (moist); few (5%) medium (5-10 mm) ferromanganiferous and clay nodules; and few (5%) manganese stains; pH 6.6; gradual change to:
B23	70-95 cm	Light yellowish brown (2.5Y6/4) with many (30%) strong brown (7.5YR4/6) mottles; medium heavy clay; moderate – strong, medium to fine subangular blocky structure; firm consistence (moist); manganese staining common; few (5%) ferromanganiferous and clay nodules; roots to 80 cm; pH 7.6; gradual change to:
B24	95-110+ cm	Light olive brown (2.5Y5/4) with many (30%) reddish yellow (7.5YR6/6) mottles; strong – medium to fine subangular blocky; firm consistence (moist); few (2.5%) fine manganese flecks; pH 8.9.

Key Profile Features:

Gradual increase in texture (clay content) with depth down the soil profile.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (Ap horizon)	Strongly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None
Subsoil (B21 horizon)	Slightly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None
Deeper subsoil (at 95-110+ cm)	Strongly Alkaline	Very Low	Strongly Sodic	Strong

VIT1 graphs

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl₂)	EC 1:5	Exchangeable Cations
					Ca	Mg	K	Na
					meq/100g
Ap	0-15	5.4	4.7	0.08	3.2	0.92	0.82	0.13
B1	15-30	6.0	5.2	0.06	3.1	1.7	0.37	0.26
B21	30-50	6.1	5.1	<0.05	2.3	2.2	0.28	0.38
B22	50-70	6.6	5.2	0.07	2.0	4.4	0.43	1.4
B23	70-95	7.6	6.2	0.09	2.6	6.4	0.59	2.8
B24	95-110+	8.9	7.9	0.14	3.0	7.3	0.62	3.5

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	Exchangeable Aluminium (mg/kg)	Exchangeable Acidity (meq/100g)	Field Capacity pF 2.5	Wilting Point pF 4.2	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	0-15	<10	6.0	24	6.3	10	50	18	16
B1	15-30	<10	4.6	23.3	8.4	7	43	16	31
B21	30-50	<10	3.6	24.7	9.1	7	42	14	35
B22	50-70		5.1	25.8	12.4	7	34	15	41
B23	70-95			29.1	16.3	5	31	17	48
B24	95-110+			30.4	15.4

Management Considerations:

Subsoil (B) Horizon

The deeper subsoil (from 70 cm depth) becomes strongly sodic and dispersive. This will result in restricted root and water movement at depth.

Notes

Roots common to 60 cm depth.
Profile described by Mark Imhof and Kevin Powell (December 2004).

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