Location: Omeo South
Australian Soil Classification: Eutrophic, Subnatric, Yellow SODOSOL
Map Unit: Omeo (Component 1)
Previous Site Name: 215
General Landscape Description: Undulating low hills
Site description:
Land Use: Grazing on annual pasture
Native Vegetation: Montane grassy woodland
Geology: Palaeozoic granite
Soil Profile Morphology:
Not available, but observations of shallow road exposures along Bald Hills Road show surface soils overlying bleached subsurface soils with yellow brown clay subsoils.
Chemical and Physical Analysis:
Horizon | Horizon Depth
(cm) | pH
(water) | EC
dS/m | Organic Carbon
% | Total
Nitrogen
% | Free
Fe2O3
% w/w | Exchangeable Acididty
meq/100g | Exchangeable Cations | 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 | 0-8 | 5.6 | 0.05 | 1.7 | 0.15 | 1.0 | 7.4 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 20 |
A2 | 15-30 | 6.0 | <0.05 | 0.2 | 0.02 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.05 | 39 | 36 | 16 | 7 |
B21 | 30-60 | 6.5 | 0.08 | | | 2.9 | 20.5 | 3.7 | 12.4 | 0.3 | 1.9 | 16 | 15 | 7 | 61 |
B22 | 90-120 | 8.4 | 0.16 | | | 1.8 | | 3.3 | 9.5 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 41 | 31 | 12 | 17 |
Management Considerations
Surface (A) horizons
- The soils are moderately acid but may show a slight response to lime applications.
- The potassium levels are moderate and no response to potassium fertilisers would be expected.
- Salinity is not a problem in the surface soil.
- The nutrient holding capacity of the surface (A1 and A2) horizons is low to very low (based on the sum of the exchangeable calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium cations).
Subsoil (B) horizons
- The coarsely structured and high clay subsoil is sodic with very low calcium to magnesium ratio of 0.3. Water and root movement in the subsoil will be restricted by these conditions.
- This soil is highly prone to water erosion.
Profile Described By: Ken Rowe, 1970.