CRC7

Location: Warrayure

Australian Soil Classification: Ferric, Mottled-Mesonatric, Grey SODOSOL (thick sandy surface horizon).
Site Description: Slight shelf at the edge of a depression.


Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-3 cm	Brown (7.5YR4/2); loamy sand; very weak consistence (dry); pH 5.8:	Site CRC7 Profile
A21	3-20 cm	Brown (10YR5/3); conspicuously bleached; sand; loose consistence (dry); pH 5.1:
A22	20-30 cm	Brown (10YR5/3); conspicuously bleached (10YR7/2d); sand; very weak consistence (dry); pH 5.6:
A23	30-40 cm	Brown (10YR5/3); conspicuously bleached; fine sand; weak to firm consistence (dry); pH 5.7:
Subsoil
B1	40-50 cm	Brown (10YR5/3) with many brownish yellow (10YR6/8) mottles; sandy clay loam; moderate very coarse to coarse prismatic structure; firm consistence (slightly moist); pH 5.7:
B21	50-80 cm	Light grey (10YR7/2) with many yellow (2.5Y7/6) mottles; sandy clay; strong very coarse to coarse prismatic, parting to strong coarse blocky structure; strong consistence (moderately moist); wavy change to; pH 6.4:
B22c	80-110 cm	Gravelly clay; very many (60%) ferruginous nodules and ferruginous sandstone (often conglomerated); pH 7.8.

• Thick sandy surface horizons.
• Conspicuously bleached subsurface (A2) horizons.
• Strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B21) horizon.

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Moderately Acid	Medium	Non-Sodic	None
Subsoil (B21 50-80 cm horizon)	Moderately Acid	Extremely High	Strongly Sodic	None1
Deeper subsoil (at 80-110 cm)	Slightly Alkaline	High	Strongly Sodic	Strong

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl2)	EC dS/m	NaCl	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	0-3	5.8	5.3	0.27	0.07	<10	2.8	1.5	0.9	0.1	<0.1	47	46	3	2	10	6
A21	3-20	5.1	4.6	0.18		<10	2.6	0.47	0.54	0.14	0.79	48	47	2	4	8	2
A22	20-30	5.6	5.1	0.48		<10	1.4	0.5	0.9	<0.1	0.2	38	50	7	3	13	2
A23	30-40	5.7	5.3	0.66	0.16	<10	1.3	0.4	0.9	<0.1	0.2	38	48	7	5	12	2
B1	40-50	5.7	5.2	0.92	0.21	<10	3.2	0.7	2.9	<0.1	0.9	36	42	7	13	18	6
B21	50-80	6.4	5.8	0.97	0.23	<10	3.8	1.4	6.5	0.2	3.1	29	35	7	26	30	12
B22c	80-110	7.8	6.8	0.50	0.09			2.2	9.7	5.1	5.1					40	19

• The surface horizons are deep and sandy. Infiltration of water will be relatively rapid as a result and the surface soil will be well drained.
  
  
• The low wilting point in the surface horizons 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 or watering occurs.

• The level of soluble salts is very high in the upper subsoil. This is likely to restrict the growth of deeper-rooted salt sensitive species.
  
  
• The dense and coarsely structured subsoil is strongly sodic and dispersive. This will result in restricted root and water movement into the subsoil. Waterlogging may occur in the overlying subsurface horizons.
  
  
• Root and water movement will also be restricted at depth in the deeper subsoil due to the large amount of ferruginous nodules and conglomerated sandstone.