SW49

Location: Ballengeich

Australian Soil Classification: Vertic (& Ferric), Eutrophic, Brown CHROMOSOL
General Landscape Description: Level plain.
Site Description: Grazing paddock (dairy) near Hopkins River.
Mapping Unit: Unit 40 (Maher and Martin, 1987).
Geology: Quaternary - Newer volcanics (basalt).

SW49 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-17 cm	Dark brown (10YR3/3); very fine sandy clay loam; weak coarse polyhedral, parting to moderate medium polyhedral structure; weak to firm consistence moist; pH 5.4; wavy change to:	SW49 Profile
A12	17-25 cm	Dark brown (10YR3/3); gravelly light clay; contains very many (75%) ferruginous nodules (2-10 mm in size); pH 5.9:
Subsoil
B21	25-50 cm	Dark yellowish brown (10YR4/4) with a few dark yellowish brown (10YR4/6) mottles; medium clay; moderate to strong medium polyhedral, parting to strong very fine polyhedral structure; weak to firm consistence moist; contains a few (5%) ferruginous nodules (2-4 mm in size); pH 6.3:
B22	50-70 cm	Brown (10YR5/3) with many yellowish brown (10YR5/6) and few red (2.5YR4/8) mottles; medium clay; strong coarse polyhedral, parting to strong fine polyhedral structure; pH 6.3:
B23	70-110 cm	Pale brown (10YR6/3) with many brownish yellow (10YR6/6) and some red (2.5YR4/8) mottles; medium clay; strong coarse polyhedral, parting to strong coarse to fine lenticular structure; slickensides present from 80 cm depth; weak consistence moist; pH 6.3.

Key Profile Features:

Strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B21) horizon.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

-	pH	Salinity	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface Soil (A1 horizon)	Strongly Acid	Low	Non-Sodic	None
Subsoil (25-50 cm)	Slightly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None¹
Deeper Subsoil (70-110 cm)	Slightly Acid	Low	Sodic	None

¹ Moderate dispersion after remoulding (20 hrs).

The surface is strongly acid. The subsoil
is slightly acid.

The salinity rating is low to very low
throughout the soil profile.

The clay content increases markedly
at 25 cm depth.

Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl₂)	EC dS/m	Organic Carbon %	Total Nitrogen %	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	0-17	5.4	4.7	0.15	3.9	0.30		3.7	1.2	0.4	0.1	4	43	22	21	32.3	11.8
A12	17-25	5.9	4.9	0.07	3.2	0.14		3.7	2	0.4	0.3	40	22	13	21	22.9	11.8
B21	25-50	6.3	5.3	0.11			13	5.3	8.2	0.4	1.2	1	6	6	84	49.9	33.2
B22	50-70	6.3	5.6	0.18				4.6	9.6	0.2	1.8	1	5	8	82	54.8	33.9
B23	70-110	6.3	5.6	0.2				4	10	0.1	2.3	1	5	8	85	56.4	33.8

Profile Described By: Mark Imhof and Austin Brown, August 1998.

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