CRC11

Location: Ararat

Australian Soil Classification: Bleached-Mottled, Magnesic, Yellow CHROMOSOL
General Landscape Description: Mid-slope of hill (SE aspect) with colluvial deposits.
Site Description: Grazing paddock – runoff demonstration site.
Geology: Ordovician thinly bedded shale (micaceous).

CRC11 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology

Surface Soil

A1	0-10 cm	Dark brown (10YR3/3); light fine sandy clay loam; weak coarse-medium blocky structure; weak consistence (moderately moist); pH 5.0; sharp change to:	CRC11 Profile
A2	10-35 cm	Light pinkish brown (7.5YR7/4) (with some A horizon infill); sandy loam; weak medium blocky structure; weak consistence (moderately moist); pH 5.7; clear change to:
Subsoil
B1	35-45 cm	Pale yellow (2.5Y714) with brownish yellow (10YR6/8) mottles; fine sandy clay loam; weak-moderate coarse blocky structure; weak consistence (moderately moist); pH 6.3; clear change
B21	45-70 cm	Light yellowish brown (10YR6/4) with brownish yellow (10YR6/8) and dark red (2.5YR4/8) mottles; light to medium clay; moderate very coarse prismatic, parting to moderate coarse blocky and moderate to strong medium polyhedral structure; manganese staining in patches; pH 6.6:
B22	70-95 cm	Brownish yellow (10YR6/8) with light yellowish brown (10YR6/4) and dark red (2.5YR4/8) mottles; light medium clay (sandy); moderate-strong coarse-medium polyhedral structure; weak consistence (moist); pH 6.8:
B23	95-120 cm	Reddish yellow (7.5YR6/8) with very pale brown (10YR7/3) mottles; medium clay; moderate very coarse prismatic, parting to moderate to strong coarse-medium blocky structure; firm consistence (moist); manganese staining (2-5%); pH 6.7:

Key Profile Features

Moderate texture contrast between surface (A) horizon and subsoil (B21) horizon

Key Profile Characteristics

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Strongly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None
Subsoil (B21c horizon)	Slightly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None¹
Deeper subsoil (at cm)	Slightly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None

¹ Moderate dispersion after remoulding

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl₂)	EC dS/m	Exchangeable Aluminium ppm	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) %	Field Capacity % w/w	Wilting Point % w/w
							Ca	Mg	K	Na
							meq/100g
A1	0-10	5.0	4.4	0.08	29	41	1.8	1.2	0.30	0.14	13	56	8	20	20.4	9.2
A2	10-35	5.7	5.1	<0.05	<10	2.7	0.44	0.87	0.09	0.11	14	60	14	9	19.4	3.1
B1	35-45	6.3	5.2	<0.05	<10	4.7	0.90	2.6	0.11	0.22	14	49	15	18	11.8	7.0
B21	45-70	6.6	5.5	<0.05		6.2	1.0	6.0	0.25	0.44	11	39	14	37	15.4	13.6
B22	70-95	6.8	5.9	<0.05		4.1	0.45	5.7	0.22	0.47	18	42	12	27	22.9	10.5
B23	95-120	6.7	5.9	<0.05

Management Considerations:

The subsoil has very low levels of exchangeable calcium as compared to exchangeable magnesium (i.e. magnesic). This indicates that nutrient imbalances may occur (e.g. calcium deficiency).

Profile Described By: Mark Imhof, Austin Brown and Malcolm McCaskill, November 2003.

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