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SFS21

Location: Cressy

Australian Soil Classification: Melanic, Hypercalcic, Black VERTOSOL (or DERMOSOL) (Clayey)

General Landscape Description: Lunette
Site Description: Crest.
Land Use: Pasture prior to forming into raised beds for cropping. Southern Farming Systems (SFS) trial site.
Geology: Quaternary aeolian deposits: sand, clay, calcareous sand

Image:  SFS 21 landscape
SFS21 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil
Image:  SFS 21 profile
SFS21 Profile
A110-10 cmBlack (10YR2/1); self mulching suface condition; light clay; fine crumb structure; pH 6.3; clear change to:
A1210-30 cmBlack (10YR2/1); light clay; rough peds; fine to medium polyhedral structure; strong consistence; pH 6.3; clear change to:
Subsoil
B2130-60 cmVery dark grey (7.5YR3/1); light medium clay; moderate coarse polyhedral, parting to strong fine polyhedral structure; pH 7.3; clear change to:
B22k60-130+ cmLight brownish grey (2.5Y6/2); light medium clay; apedal; very common fine pores; some larger root channels infilled with A and B horizon material; highly calcareous; pH 8.5.

Key Profile Features:
  • Well structured soil profile.
  • Very calcareous in deeper subsoil.

Soil Profile Characteristics:



pH


Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
Slightly Acid
Low
Non-Sodic
None
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Slightly Alkaline
Very Low
Non-Sodic
None1
Deeper Subsoil
(at 75-85 cm)
Moderately Alkaline
Low
Non-Sodic
None
1 Slight dispersion after remoulding.
Image:  SFS21 graphs
The pH in the surface is slightly acid. The pH in the subsoil is slightly alkaline, becoming moderately alkaline with depth.The salinity rating is low to very low throughout the profile.The clay content increases sharply at the surface / subsoil interface.

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl2)
EC
dS/m
NaCl
Exchangeable Cations
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
A1
0-10
6.3
5.9
0.30
0.04
11.0
5.5
2.3
0.3
A12
10-30
6.3
5.7
0.09
12.0
8.0
2.6
0.27
B21
30-60
7.3
6.8
0.19
18.0
16.0
2.6
0.41
B22k
60-130+
8.5
8.0
0.26
24.0
15.0
1.4
0.48

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
Exchangeable Aluminium
mg/kg
Exchangeable Acidity
meq/100g
Oxidisable Organic Carbon
%
Total
Nitrogen
%
Field
Capacity
pF2.5
Wilting Point
pF4.2
Coarse Sand
(0.2-2.0 mm)
Fine Sand
(0.02-0.2 mm)
Silt
(0.002-0.02 mm)
Clay
(<0.002 mm)
A1
0-10
11
4.2
0.4
36.3
20.9
12
19
16
45
A12
10-30
<10
8.7
33.2
20.6
16
17
13
48
B21
30-60
48.6
31.4
5
8
7
72
B22k
60-130+
39.3
25.2
3
7
9
43

Management Considerations:
  • The lunette soils in the Victorian Volcanic Plain may have sandy or clay profiles, with clay profiles, as in this case (SFS21), being generally more common. Occurrence is very localised and of limited spatial extent. The soils are well structured and have high fertility. Site drainage is usually good but because the clay content is high and the clays swell, internal drainage is often poor and the soil surface becomes sticky and difficult to manage when wet.

Whole Profile
Profile Described By: Richard MacEwan & Mark Imhof (September 2000).
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