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LSWW10

WLRA - soil pit WW10- landscape
Self-mulching plains near Minimay

    Site Code
LSWW10
WLRA - soil pit WW10- profile
Endocalcareous-Endohypersodic, Self-mulching Grey VERTOSOL

    Location

Minimay, western Victoria

    Landform

Plain

    Geology

Quaternary Woorinen Formation:
aeolian dune sand, calcareous clay

    Element

Plain

Horizon
Depth (cm)
Description

A1

0–10

Dark grey (10YR4/1);
light clay; moderate coarse blocky structure; very firm consistence when dry; pH 7.8; clear boundary to:

B21

10–75

Dark grey (10YR4/1);
medium clay; strong coarse blocky structure; smooth ped fabric, strong consistence when dry; pH 8.6; gradual and tongued boundary to:

B22k

75–100

Light grey (2.5Y7/2);
light medium clay; strong coarse blocky structure; very strong consistence when slightly moist; many (10-30%) soft and semi-hard calcareous segregations; pH 9.4; changes to:

B23

100–200+

Light grey (2.5Y7/2) with few red mottles;
medium heavy clay; prismatic, parting to strong medium polyhedral structure; patches of soft calcareous segregations and a few hard calcareous and iron/carbonate/silica segregations; pH 9.4.

Management Considerations

  • Uniform clay throughout profile, friable surface soil.
  • Surface condition slightly self-mulching. Surface becomes more self-mulching following cultivation.
  • Alkaline subsoil, strongly sodic and higher magnesium at depth.
  • Subsoils will disperse following cultivation when wet.
  • Presence of a carbonate horizon.
  • High soil salinity at 75 cm.
  • Plant Available Water Capacity (PAWC) is considered to be very high (estimated at 230 mm) for this site profile based on an Effective Rooting Depth of 75 cm. Rooting depth will be restricted by subsoil conditions, such as; strongly sodic (Exchangeable Sodium Percentage >20%), high soluble salt levels (Chloride >0.1%), poor structure (eg. massive or very coarse, columnar or prismatic), very high carbonate (lime) content (not applicable to all plant species) or hard rock.
  • Gilgai characteristics results in uneven depth of carbonate.

Horizon
Depth (cm)
pH (water)
pH (CaCl2)
EC
dS/m
Exchangeable Cations
cmol-/kg
Wilting Point
(pF4.2)
Coarse Sand
%
Fine Sand
%
Silt
%
Clay
%
Ca
Mg
K
Na
A1
0–10
7.8
7.3
0.21
17.0
3.7
1.6
0.5
20.3
16.8
28.9
5.0
38.5
B21
10–75
8.6
7.8
0.18
16.0
6.6
1.5
1.4
22.3
20.0
23.6
3.5
44.0
B22k
75–100
9.4
8.6
1.1
-
-
-
-
23.2
16.6
18.6
4.5
45.0
B23
100–200+
9.4
8.6
1.4
4.1
11.0
1.8
11.0
-
-
-
-
-
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