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GP56

Location: KernotAust. Soil Class.: Bleached, Mesotrophic, Brown KUROSOL (thick sandy surface)
General Landscape Description: Crest (6% slope) of a hillslope of rolling hill. Original vegetation includes messmate
Geology: Tertiary sediments.

GP56 Landscape
GP56 Landscape


Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A10-15 cmVery dark grey (10YR3/1); loamy sand (organic); firm surface condition; weak structure; weak consistence dry; pH 4.7; clear change to:
GP56 profile
GP56 Profile
A2115-40 cmBrown (7.5YR5/2) bleached (7.5YR7/2d); loamy sand; massive structure; very weak consistence dry; pH 5.0; clear and wavy change to:
A2240-55 cmBrown (7.5YR5/2) bleached (7.5YR7/2d); loamy sand; massive structure; very firm consistence dry; patches of cemented sand present; pH 5.0; abrupt change to:
Subsoil
B2155-90 cmBrown (7.5YR4/4); sandy clay loam; massive structure; firm consistence dry; contains a few (10%) subrounded iron concretions (40 mm in size), as well as a few (2-10%) sandstone fragments (2-6 mm in size) in gravel patches cemented by iron; pH 5.1; clear change to:
B2290+ cmDark red (2.5YR4/6) with reddish yellow (7.5YR6/8) and pinkish grey (7.5YR7/2) mottles; very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2) stains down root channels; coarse sandy clay loam; moderate coarse polyhedral structure; sandstone (2-6 mm in size) gravel common (15-20%) in patches; pH 5.3.

Key Profile Features:

  • Thick sandy surface horizons (to 55 cm depth)
  • Strong texture contrast between sandy surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B21) horizon
Soil Profile Characteristics:

pH
Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Very Strongly Acid
Very Low
Non-Sodic
-
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Strongly Acid
Very Low
Sodic
-
Deeper Subsoil
(at 1 m)
Strongly Acid
Very Low
Sodic
-

GP56 pH
The surface soil is very strongly acid.
The subsoil is strongly acid throughout.
GP56 Salinity
The salinity rating is very low
throughout the profile.
GP56 Exchangeable aluminium
The exchangeable aluminium levels
are low in the surface soil but become
high in the upper subsoil (B21).
GP56 clay
The clay content increases abruptly
at the A/B boundary.

Horizon
Horizon Depth
pH (water)
pH CaCl2
EC
1:5
NaCl
Exchangeable Cations
Ca
Mg
K
Na
Meq/100g
A1
0-15
4.7
3.6
<0.05
2.1
0.8
0.11
0.14
A21
15-40
5
3.9
<0.05
0.66
0.14
<0.05
0.06
A22
40-55
5
4.1
<0.05
0.4
<0.05
<0.05
<0.05
B21
55-90
5.1
4.2
<0.05
1
0.54
0.28
0.13
B22
90+
5.3
4.4
<0.05
1.7
2.6
0.36
0.17

Horizon
Horizon Depth
Ex Al
mg/kg
Ex Ac
meq/100g
Wilting Point
pF4.2
g/100g
Coarse Sand
(0.2-2.0mm)
%
Fine Sand
(0.02-0.2mm)
%
Silt
(0.002-0.02mm)
%
Clay
(<0.002mm)
%
A1
0-15
21
12
4.8
33
48
13
2
A21
15-40
<10
2.7
1.3
34
49
12
3
A22
40-55
<10
1.5
1.2
31
47
15
5
B21
55-90
150
11
10
41
24
7
26
B22
90+
57
8.1
11.7
60
7
3
29


Management Considerations:

Whole Profile

  • The soil profile ranges from very strongly acid in the surface to strongly acid in the subsoil. As a result, deficiencies in molybdenum, potassium and phosphorus may occur. Manganese toxicity may also occur in strongly acid soils, particularly when poorly drained (as waterlogging may bring manganese into solution). Levels of exchangeable aluminium measured are not high within the sandy surface soil (ie. 21 mg/kg) but does increase in the subsoil. A pH/aluminium test sampled across the paddock may be appropriate to determine whether lime is needed to raise soil pH. However, other factors need to be considered before lime is recommended (e.g. pasture species grown, method of application, local trial responses, soil surface structure and likely cost/benefit).
Surface (A) Horizons
  • The inherent fertility of the surface (A1) horizon (based on the sum of the exchangeable calcium, magnesium and potassium cations) is very low. The high Organic matter is important for improving soil fertility, water holding capacity and enhancing surface soil structure on soils such as these.
  • The sandy surface horizons (47-49%) have a very low water holding capacity. The low wilting point (5%) of the surface (A1) horizon indicates that plants will be able to utilise very light rains when the soil is dry. However, due to the low water storage capacity, plants will soon suffer moisture stress unless further rain falls occur.
Subsoil (B) Horizons
  • The subsoil is strongly acid. The exchangeable aluminium levels are quite high (150 mg/kg) but will effect only deeper rooted aluminium sensitive species (> 55 cm depth).
  • The subsoil has a very low inherent fertility (based on the sum of the exchangeable basic cations).
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