Site IS9

Location: Murtoa

Australian Soil Classification: Endocalcareous-Endohypersodic, Self-Mulching, Grey VERTOSOL

General Landscape Description: Hillslope of a gently undulating plain.
Geology: Pliocene Parilla Sand: marine sand and silt.

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-10 cm	Dark greyish brown (10YR4/2); light clay; subplastic; cracking and self-mulching surface condition; weak coarse granular structure; very weak consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; pH 8.5; sharp boundary to:
Subsoil
B21	10-45 cm	Dark grey (10YR4/1); medium clay; subplastic; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; pH 9.1:
B22	45-95 cm	Dark grey (10YR4/1); medium clay; subplastic; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 9.3:
B23	95-110 cm	Grey (10YR5/1); medium clay; subplastic; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 9.2:
B24	110-145 cm	Grey (10YR5/1) with (7.5YR6/6) mottles; medium clay; subplastic; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 9.2; gradual boundary to:
B31	145-190	Reddish yellow (7.5YR6/6) with (10YR5/2) mottles; heavy clay; plastic; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; moderately sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 9.0; gradual boundary to:
B32	190-220	Reddish yellow (7.5YR6/6) with (2.5YR4/8) mottles; medium heavy clay sandy; plastic; moderate coarse blocky structure; strong consistence dry; moderately sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations and few (2-10%) weathered sandstone; pH 8.9.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

Horizon	Sample Depth cm	pH		EC dS/m	Sodium Chloride %	Exchangeable Calcium cmol-/kg	Exchangeable Magnesium cmol-/kg	Exchangeable Potassium cmol-/kg	Exchangeable Sodium cmol-/kg	Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg	Exchangeable Acidity cmol-/kg	Field Capacity -30^okPa	Permanent Wilting Point -1500^okPa	Coarse Sand %	Fine Sand %	Silt %	Clay %
Horizon	Sample Depth cm	H₂O	CaCl₂	EC dS/m	Sodium Chloride %	Exchangeable Calcium cmol-/kg	Exchangeable Magnesium cmol-/kg	Exchangeable Potassium cmol-/kg	Exchangeable Sodium cmol-/kg	Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg	Exchangeable Acidity cmol-/kg	Field Capacity -30^okPa	Permanent Wilting Point -1500^okPa	Coarse Sand %	Fine Sand %	Silt %	Clay %
A1	0–10	8.5	NA	0.18	0.01	31.2	3.9	1.7	1.2	NA	2.5	NA	22.6	12	17	9	58
B21	10–45	9.1	NA	0.22	0.02	26	8	1.4	2.9	NA	NA	NA	34.1	16	16	8	59
B22	45–95	9.3	NA	0.43	0.05	20	11.3	1.3	8.4	NA	NA	NA	28.2	15	14	9	58
B23	95–110	9.2	NA	0.7	0.09	17.4	12.6	1.6	12.9	NA	NA	NA	30.4	9	15	9	59
B24	110–145	9.2	NA	0.9	0.1	16.5	12.2	1.5	13.1	NA	NA	NA	28.7	7	12	9	62
B31	145–190	9.0	NA	1.16	0.15	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	28.2	9	12	8	62
B32	190–220	8.9	NA	1.01	0.12	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	20.6	28	12	8	50

Note: NA=not assessed.

Management Considerations:

Cracking (vertic) clay soil, high clay content decreasing at depth (with sandstone inclusions).
Highly alkaline soil, decreasing at depth.
Friable, self-mulching surface, subplastic (seems lighter than lab data would suggest).
High calcium levels in surface and upper subsoil, decreasing with depth.
Sodic subsoil, becoming strongly sodic below 60 cm.
High salt levels below 95 cm.
Landscape element, hillslope; moderate site drainage.

Profile Described By: John Martin, Nabil Badawy, Ron Cawood, Geoff Pope, John Galea, John Turner (1970).

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