WCFA8

Location: Litchfield

Australian Soil Classification: Sodic, Calcic, Red CHROMOSOL

Northcote Factual Key: Dr2.13

General Landscape Description: Flat Plain.
Site Description: Cultivated cropping paddock.
Geology: Parna - Woorinen Formation

Image: WCFA8 landscape
WCFA8 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil			WCFA8 profile
A1	0-15 cm	Dark brown (7.5YR3/2); very fine sandy clay loam; loose cultivated surface condition; strong coarse sub-angular blocky structure; rough fabric; very firm consistence dry; contains very few medium ferromanganiferous nodules; pH 7.6; sharp and wavy change to:
Subsoil
B21	15-40 cm	Dark reddish brown (5YR7/4); light medium clay; strong medium polyhedral, parting to strong fine polyhedral structure; rough to smooth fabric; contains very few fine ferromanganiferous nodules; pH 8.1; clear and smooth change to:
B22	40-60 cm	Reddish brown (5YR4/4); medium heavy clay; moderate coarse polyhedral, parting to moderate medium polyhedral structure; rough to smooth fabric; contains a few fine ferromanganiferous nodules and very few fine calcareous nodules; moderately calcareous; pH 8.4; clear and smooth change to:
B23k	60-90+ cm	Yellowish red (5YR5/6); light medium clay; moderate coarse polyhedral structure; rough to smooth fabric; contains a few fine manganiferous nodules and tubules, and a few medium calcareous nodules and soft segregations; very highly calcareous; pH 9.0.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Slightly Alkaline	Low	Non-Sodic	None
Subsoil (B21 horizon)	Moderately Alkaline	Low	Non-Sodic	None¹
Deeper subsoil (at 95-120 cm)	Strongly Alkaline	Low	Sodic	None²

¹ Strong dispersion after remoulding. ² Moderate dispersion after remoulding.

Image: WCFA8 graphs

The surface is slightly alkaline. The upper subsoil is moderately alkaline becoming strongly alkaline with depth.

The salinity rating is low throughout the profile.

The surface and upper subsoil are non-sodic. The deeper subsoil is sodic.

Boron levels increase with depth but are relatively low.

The clay content increases markedly at the surface / subsoil boundary.

Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl₂)	EC dS/m	NaCl %	Exchangeable Cations
						Ca	Mg	K	Na
						meq/100g
A1	0-15	7.6	7.3	0.18	-	24	5.7	2.7	0.36
B21	15-40	8.1	7.6	0.26	<0.02	27	11	2.1	1.9
B22	40-60	8.4	7.9	0.3	<0.02	23	15	2.1	3.2
B23k	60-90	9	8.2	0.31	<0.02	13	14	1.8	4.5

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	Oxidisable Organic Carbon %	Total Nitrogen %	Available Boron mg/kg	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)


A1	0-15	1.4	0.12	1.5	38.8	20.5	14	22	26	32
B21	15-40			1.8	48.2	31.0	8	11	12	68
B22	40-60			2.1	46.5	29.2	9	10	12	58
B23k	60-90			4.6	38.2	24.4

Profile Described By: Nathan Robinson, Grant Boyle and John Martin (October 2006).

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