BD13

Gently undulating plains		Site Code	BD13	Mesonatric, Subnatric, Yellow Sodosol
		Location	Elaine
		Landform	Gently undulating plains
		Geology	Ordovician sandstone and shale
		Element	Footslope
		Slope	4–6%
Horizon	Depth (cm)	Description
A1	0–17	Brown (10YR5/3); loamy sand; weak structure; water repellent; pH 6.5; sharp boundary to:
B2	17–100+	Yellow (10YR7/6) with few red mottles; medium to heavy clay; weak structure; pH 6.0.
Management considerations
This soil has been considered rather poor for agricultural purposes mainly because of its poor physical structure and low fertility. Most of the area is still under forest or planted to pines. Cereals generally do not do particularly well due to the poor soil structure and low fertility. However, by improving the fertility with several years under pasture, it is possible to grow reasonably good cereal crops in the drier areas or in the dry years in the wetter areas. When there is enough summer rainfall, or irrigation, summer fodder crops such as rape, turnips, and in the more fertile paddocks, chou moellier, grow well in this soil. Where there is a good depth of topsoil, potatoes also yield quite well, but they must be harvested early to avoid autumn or winter waterlogging. This soil is best suited to growing pastures, and with present technical knowledge, it is possible for it to grow very good pastures. This grey or brown Ordovician soil is not suitable for growing lucerne. In the wetter areas, the subsoil becomes too wet in the winter for lucerne, and in the drier areas lucerne cannot develop a deep enough root system due to the nature of the subsoil.

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