| SFS2 | Endocalcareous, Self-mulching, Black VERTOSOL | ||
| Gnarwarre, South Roxby (Southern Farming Systems trial site) | |||
| Plain | |||
| Quaternary volcanic, basalt. | |||
| low rise | |||
| <1% | |||
| West | |||
Horizon | Depth (cm) | Description | ||
Ap | 0–20 | Black (10YR2/1 moist, dry); light medium clay; strongly pedal; self-mulching; pH 6.0; clear boundary to: | ||
B21g | 20–50/70 | Black (10YR2/1 moist, dry); abundant (>25%), coarse, dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2 moist); (10%), fine to medium dark red(2.5YR 4/8 moist) and strong brown(7.5 YR5/8 moist) mottles; heavy clay; strongly pedal; angular blocky and lenticular parting to fine to coarse (5–50 mm) polyhedral peds; common, medium macropores; roots common; pH 7.4; clear boundary to: | ||
B22gss | 50/70 –90 | Black (10YR2/1 moist, dry); many (50%), coarse, dark greyish brown (2.5Y4/2 moist) mottles, increasing with size and abundance with depth; heavy clay; prominent slickensides; common, medium macropores; roots common; pH 8.2; clear boundary to: | ||
B23k | 90+ | Abundant CaCO3, effervescence bubbles >2 mm; rounded dense basalt floaters; pH 9.5/10. | ||
Management considerations | ||||
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. |
Site SFS2 | Sample depth | pH | EC | NaCl | Ex Ca | Ex Mg | Ex K | Ex Na | Ex Al | Ex acidity | FC (-10kPa) | PWP (-150kPa) | KS | FS | Z | C | |
Horizon | cm | H2O | CaCl2 | dS/m | % | cmolc/kg | cmolc/kg | cmolc/kg | cmolc/kg | mg/kg | cmolc/kg | % | % | % | % | % | % |
Ap | 0-20 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 0.15 | N/R | 14.0 | 10.0 | 1.10 | 0.50 | <10 | 11.0 | 40.6 | 22.9 | 11.1 | 26.5 | 13.0 | 38.5 |
B21g | 30-45 | 7.4 | 6.4 | 0.12 | N/R | 14.0 | 13.0 | 0.93 | 0.85 | N/R | N/R | 42.6 | 22.5 | 11.4 | 27.6 | 12.5 | 45.5 |
B22gss | 65-85 | 8.2 | 7.2 | 0.17 | N/R | 15.0 | 15.0 | 0.86 | 1.40 | N/R | N/R | 44.9 | 24.1 | 10.6 | 26.8 | 13.0 | 46.5 |