Property: Rutherglen Research Institute.
Paddock Number: 18.
Australian Soil Classification: Ferric (and Calcic), Mottled-Subnatric, Brown SODOSOL
Northcote Factual Key: Dy 2.43
Great Soil Group: solodic
General Landscape Description: Level plain. The original vegetation included Yellow Box (Eucalyptus melliodora) and Blakely's Red Gum (E. blakelyi).
Soil Mapping Unit: Unit 2. The soil at this site most closely resembles Lilliput Loam, which occurs in depression components of the unit.
Site NE4 Landscape |
A1 | 0-5 cm | Brown (10YR4/3); light fine sandy clay loam; hardsetting surface condition; massive; firm consistence dry; contains a slight (5%) amount of quartz gravel (2-5 mm); pH 5.2; sharp and wavy change to: | Site NE4 Profile |
A2 | 5-30 cm | Reddish yellow (7.5YR6/6) conspicuously bleached (10YR8/2d); light fine sandy clay loam; massive; strong consistence dry; contains very many (80%) ferromanganiferous nodules; pH 6.2; abrupt change to: | |
Subsoil | |||
B21 | 30-40 cm | Yellowish brown (10YR5/4); light medium clay; moderate medium polyhedral structure; very strong consistence moist; contains a common (10-20%) amount of ferromanganiferous stains and concretions as well as a trace (2%) amount of quartz gravel (2-4 mm size); pH 6.3; clear and discontinuous change to: | |
B22 | 40-80 cm | Yellowish brown (10YR5/4) with brownish yellow (10YR6/8) diffuse mottles; medium clay; moderate coarse blocky structure; rigid consistence moist; contains a common (20%) amount of ferromanganiferous stains and gravels as well as a trace (2%) amount of quartz gravel; pH 7.2; gradual and wavy change to: | |
B23k | 80-100 cm | Yellowish brown (10YR5/4) with brownish yellow (10YR6/8) [with patches of yellowish brown (5YR5/6)] mottles; light medium clay; moderate coarse blocky structure; very strong consistence moist; contains a few (5%); soft carbonate segregations, as well as a trace (2%) amount of quartz gravel; pH 9.2; gradual change to: | |
B24 | 100-150+ cm | Yellowish brown (10YR5/4) and brownish yellow (10YR6/8); light medium clay; pH 9.2. |
The shallow surface (A1) horizon is strongly acid. The subsurface (A2) horizon is slightly acid. The subsoil is slightly acid in the upper part and becomes very strongly alkaline below 1 metre depth. | The upper subsoil is sodic (and dispersive). The deeper subsoil becomes strongly sodic. | ||
The level of soluble salts is very low in the upper part of the soil profile. From 80 cm depth the salinity rating becomes low. |
Horizon | Horizon Depth (cm) | pH (water) | pH (CaCl2) | EC 1:5 | Exchangeable Cations | Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg | Coarse Sand (0.2 - 2.0 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 | 0-5 | 5.2 | 4.2 | 0.05 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 83 | 9 | 48 | 22 | 19 |
A2 | 5-30 | 6.2 | 4.8 | <0.05 | 1.8 | 15 | 0.3 | 0.3 | |||||
B21 | 30-40 | 6.3 | 4.8 | <0.05 | 3.1 | 5.8 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 12 | 46 | 15 | 27 | |
B22 | 40-80 | 7.2 | 5.8 | 0.06 | 3.8 | 6.6 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 6 | 33 | 15 | 47 | |
B23k | 80-100 | 9.2 | 8.3 | 0.35 | 4.6 | 9.3 | 0.7 | 3.6 | |||||
B24 | 100-150 | 9.2 | 8.3 | 0.42 | 5.7 | 11 | 0.7 | 5 |