SFS2

Location: Gnarwarre, 'South Roxby'
Aust. Soil Class.: Endocalcareous, Self-mulching, Black VERTOSOL

General Landscape Description: Plain
Site Description: Southern edge of SFS raised bed 'Farming Systems' trial (Renick Peries site)
Landform: Undulating plain
Element: Low rise
Geology: Quaternary Basalt - Newer Volcanics
Aspect: West
Slope: <1%
Mapping Unit: GnarwarreB soil (after Adcock)


SFS 2 (Mapping units within the Gnarwarre SFS Farming Systems trial site)

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil
Ap	0-20cm	Black (10YR 2/1) light medium clay; strongly pedal; self-mulching; pH 6.0; clear change to:
Subsoil
B21g	20-50/70 cm	Black (10YR 2/1 moist,dry); with abundant (>25%), coarse, dark greyish brown (2.5Y 4/2 moist) and fine to medium dark red (2.5YR 4/8 moist) and strong brown (7.5 YR 5/8 moist) mottles; heavy clay; strongly pedal; angular blocky and lenticular, parting to fine coarse (5-50 mm) polyhedral structure; medium macropores common; roots common; pH 7.4; clear boundary to:
B22gss	50/70 –90 cm	Black (10YR 2/1 moist,dry) with many (50%) coarse, dark greyish brown (2.5Y 4/2 moist) mottles (increasing with size and abundance with depth); heavy clay; prominent slickensides; medium macropores common; roots common; pH 8.2; clear boundary to:
B23k	90cm+	Abundant calcium carbonate; effervescence bubbles >2 mm; rounded dense basalt floaters; pH 9.5/10.

• Surface cracking occurs when soil profile dries out.
• Clay texture throughout soil profile.
• Self-mulching surface condition.
• Vertic features (i.e. slickensides, lenticular peds) evident in subsoil.

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl2)	EC dS/m	NaCl	Exchangeable Cations
						Ca	Mg	K	Na
						meq/100g
AP	0-10	6	5.2	0.15		14	10	1.1	0.5
B21g	30-50	7.4	6.4	0.12		14	13	0.93	0.85
B22g	65-85	8.2	7.2	0.17		15	15	0.86	1.4

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg	Exchangeable Acidity meq/100g	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	0-10	<10	11	40.6	22.9	11.1	26.5	13	38.5
B21g	30-50			42.6	22.5	11.4	27.6	12.5	45.5
B22g	65-85			44.9	24.1	10.6	26.8	13	46.5

• The self mulching properties and high chemical fertility of this soil make it very favourable for crop growth. The major limitation is waterlogging but this is being effectively managed in crops by the use of raised beds. This soil is extremely sticky when wet and prone to damage by hooves and by wheeled traffic. The self mulching behaviour lends a resilience to the soil which can readily recover from structural damage in the surface.

• Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is considered to be medium (estimated at 117 mm) in the upper 100 cm of this soil profile.

• Profile described by Richard MacEwan, May 1999.