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ORZC4

Location: Birchip.Australian Soil Classification: Epicalcareous-Endohypersodic, Pedal, Calcic, CALCAROSOL.
Geology: Woorinen Formation.
General Landscape Description: Location on westerly facing gentle slope within a gently undulating plain. This site represents the depression component of the gilgai microrelief (opposite site ORZC 3).
Site Description: Pasture (medic).

Photo: Site ORZC4 Landscape
Site ORZC4 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1 0-15 cmBrown (7.5YR4/4); light medium clay; very weak consistence (dry); contains iron sandstone floaters at surface; pH 8.5; abrupt change to:

Photo: Site ORZC4 Soil Profile
Site ORZC4 Soil Profile
Subsoil

B2115-40 cmDark greyish brown (10YR4/2); medium clay; weak consistence (dry); pH 8.9; clear and wavy change to:

B22 40-100 cmPale brown (10YR6/3) with grey (10YR6/1) mottles; medium heavy clay; moderate coarse prismatic, parting to coarse blocky structure; strong consistence (dry); contains fine earth carbonates; sandy patches present; pH 9.3; gradual change to:

B23 100+ cmLight yellowish brown (10YR6/4) with light brownish grey (10YR6/2) and yellowish red (5YR5/6) mottles; medium heavy clay; sand on ped faces; pH 9.5.

Key Profile Features:
  • Gradual increase in clay content with depth.
  • Vertic properties (i.e. slickensides and lenticular peds) in deeper subsoil.
  • Soil profile calcareous throughout.
Soil Profile Characteristics:


pH
Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Moderately Alkaline
Low
Non-Sodic
None
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Strongly Alkaline
Low
Strongly Sodic
None1
Deeper subsoil
(at 1 m)
Very Strongly Alkaline
Very High
Strongly Sodic
Moderate
1 Strong dispersion after remoulding.


    Photo: Site ORZC4 Soil graphs

Horizon
Horizon Depth (cm)
pH
(water)
pH (CaCl2)
EC
1:5
NaCI %
Exchangeable Cations
Boron
mg/kg
Field Capacity
pF 2.5
Wilting Point
pF 4.2
Coarse Sand (0.2 - 2 mm)
Fine Sand
(0.02 -0.2 mm)
Silt
(0.002 -0.02 mm)
Clay
(<0.002 mm)
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
A1
0-15
8.5
8.0
0.21

31
7.3
2.1
0.65
2.0
38
18
15
23
16
38
B21
15-35
8.9
8.2
0.30
0.02
17
8.3
1.2
3.0
2.0
38
18
17
24
10
44
B22
40-60
9.3
8.5
0.65
0.08
8.7
12
1.0
7.4
8.2
45
22
17
22
11
45
B23
80-100
9.5
8.7
0.61
0.26
6.3
10
1.2
14
16
43
25
12
18
15
52
B24
100+
8.7
8.1
1.9
0.31
6.1
8.8
1.0
12
13







Profile Described By: Mark Imhof, Paul Rampant and Steve Ryan (11/10/2000).
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