EGS248

Location: Tostaree

Australian Soil Classification: Bleached-Mottled, Eutrophic, Brown CHROMOSOL (Thick sandy surface horizons)

Northcote Factual Key: Dy5.41
Great Soil Group: soloth
Map Unit: Waygara
Previous Site Name: EG248, CFTT03

General Landscape Description: Undulating plain.
Site description: 3% slope to east
Land Use: Plantation forest
Native Vegetation: Lowland forest
Geology: Tertiary sediments

Soils and landforms of Far East Gippsland - Waygara EG248 landscape
Landscape typical of this map unit near Newmerella

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0 – 15 cm	Very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2); loamy fine sand; weak fine granular structure; very weak consistence moist; pH 5.3; clear and wavy transition to:	EG248 Profile
A2	15 – 55 cm	Light yellowish brown (10YR6/4), conspicuously bleached (10YR7/3d); loamy fine sand; massive; very weak consistence dry; pH 5.4; sharp and wavy transition to:
Subsoil
B21	55 – 100 cm	Dark yellowish brown (10YR4/6) with common, coarse, distinct yellowish red (5YR4/6) mottles; light medium clay; moderate coarse sub-angular blocky, parting to moderate medium polyhedral structure; very firm consistence moist; pH 5.5; diffuse and smooth change to:
B22	100 – 140 cm	Red (2.5YR4/6) with many, coarse, prominent dark yellowish brown (10YR4/6) and light brownish grey (10YR6/2) mottles; mottling becomes more pronounced with depth; light medium clay; strong medium prismatic, parting to strong medium polyhedral structure; strong consistence moist; pH 5.5.

Key Profile Features:

Very strong texture contrast between the sandy surface (A) horizons and the clay subsoil (B21) horizon.
Conspicuously bleached A2 horizon.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

-	pH	Salinity	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface soil (A1 horizon)	Strongly acid	Very low	Non-Sodic	None
Subsoil (B21 horizon)	Strongly acid	Very low	Non-Sodic	None
Deeper Subsoil (at 1 m)	Strongly acid	Very low	Non-Sodic	None


The soil profile is strongly acid throughout.	The level of soluble salts is very low throughout the soil profile.	The level of exchangeable aluminium is high in the strongly acid surface soil, and becomes lower at depth.	The clay content increases significantly at the A/B horizon interface.

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl₂)	EC 1:5	Exchangeable Cations
					Ca	Mg	K	Na
					meq/100g
A1	0-15	5.3	4.3	0.08	0.81	0.93	0.18	0.19
A2	15-55	5.4	4.6	<0.05	0.33	0.19	0.08	0.06
B21	55-100	5.5	4.9	0.11	1.4	11	0.13	1.1
B22	100-140	5.5	4.7	<0.05	0.1	0.65	<0.05	0.08

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg	Exchangeable Acidity meq/100g	Field Capacity pF 2.5	Wilting Point pF 4.2	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	0-15	160	16	17.9	8.4	28	44	13	9
A2	15-55	22	2.3	15.5	2.3	32	48	15	6
B21	55-100	27	13	49.1	31	3	9	4	83
B22	100-140	25	3	14.3	3.4	1	20	7	71

Management Considerations:

The subsoil has low calcium and a low calcium to magnesium ratio. Calcium deficiencies may occur as a result.
The soil profile is strongly acid throughout. The availability of some elements (eg copper and molybdenum) may be low as a result. Aluminium toxicity can be a problem in strongly acid soils and the level here is likely to affect phosphorus availability. The use of test strips to see whether the addition of lime is going to be economical is recommended if the soil is to be used for pasture.
Potassium is low and deficient and a response to potassium fertilizer would be expected.

Profile Described by: Ian Sargeant and Justin Wong (June 1999).

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