Your gateway to a wide range of natural resources information and associated maps

Victorian Resources Online

SFS15

Location: PVI Hamilton

Australian Soil Classification: Ferric-Sodic, Eutrophic, Brown CHROMOSOL
Northcote Factual Key: DY3.22
Great Soil Group: Possibly brown podzolic.

Geology: Tertiary/Quaternary basalt.
General Landscape Description: Southerly aspect, simple slope (1%), relatively elevated position in a gently undulating basalt plain. Land surface moderately gilgaied, with puffs at 2-4 metre intervals and a relative relief of 100 mm or less.
Soil Mapping Unit: Monivae gravelly loam (slope phase) (Martin and Maher 19).

Site Description: Pasture paddock. Proposed site for raised bed research (Phil Newton). The face of the pit showed gilgai ‘puff’ features, while the sides and rear of the pit showed gilgai features associated with ‘hollow’. There was a thick A2 horizon in the hollow and a very high (>80%) amount of buckshot (3-10 mm) which was mostly magnetic, irregular rounded or sub-rounded (pitted).

Photo: SFS 15 Landscape
Site SFS15 Landscape


Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1 (Ap)0-20 cmVery dark greyish brown (10YR3/2), greyish brown dry (10YR5/2d) ; fine sandy clay loam; weakly to moderately pedal; fine to medium sub-angular blocky to polyhedral; firm consistence dry, weak consistence moist; clear change to:

Photo: SFS 15 Profile
Site SFS15 Profile
A2c20-35 cmDark brown (10YR3/3), puff - greyish brown dry (10YR5/2d), hollow - light greyish brown dry (10YR6/2d); gravelly loam; with hard magnetic ferro-manganiferous concretions (3-10 mm); pH 5.6; clear boundary change to:

NOTE: In the hollow there is a smooth and wavy boundary up to 50 cm in depth.
Subsoil

B21t
35-100 cmYellowish brown (10YR5/4) with fine yellowish brown (10YR5/8) and brown (10YR4/3) mottles; light medium clay; fine buckshot (>10%); pH 6.6; clear change to:

B22t(ss)100+ cmGrey (N6) with brownish yellow (10YR6/8) mottles; light olive brown (2.5Y5/3) with yellowish brown (10YR5/8) mottles; medium heavy to heavy clay; no buckshot; horizon cracked to base of pit and fissure traceable through B21 above; stress cutans (slickensides) on ped faces; pH 6.6.

Photo: SFS 15 Puff and Hollow
Puff and Hollow.
Photo: SFS 15 Subsoil Mottling
Subsoil Mottling.


Key Profile Features:

  • Lateral variation in the soil profile features association with gilgai microrelief.
  • Strong texture contrast between the surface (A) horizons and the subsoil (B21) horizon.
  • Ferruginous nodules (‘buckshot’) in subsurface (A2) horizon.

Soil Profile Characteristics:


pH
Salinity Rating
Surface
(A1 horizon)
-
-
-
-
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
Slightly Acid
Low
Non-Sodic
None
Deeper Subsoil
(at 100+cm)
Slightly Acid
Low
Sodic
None

Graph: pH in SFS 15
Graph: Salinity n SFS 15
Graph: Sodicity in SFS 15
Graph: Clay% in SFS 15

Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
pH
(water)
pH
(CaCl2)
EC 1:5
Exchangeable Cations
Ca
Mg
K
Na
meq/100g
A2
20-35
5.6
5.0
0.14
3.1
1.6
0.11
0.27
B21
40-60
6.6
6.0
0.20
8.1
9.4
0.25
1.4
B21
60-80
6.7
6.1
0.18
6.5
9.1
0.23
1.7
B22
100+
6.6
6.0
0.27
6.5
12
0.1
2.7


Horizon
Horizon Depth
(cm)
Exchangeable
Aluminium mg/kg
Exchangeable Acidity
meq/100g
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)
A2
20-35
<10
9.6
28
10
20
34
22
21
B21
40-60
14
50
33
2
8
7
81
B21
60-80
14
49
31
3
9
7
78
B22
100+
13
3
9
12
73

Management Considerations:

Whole Profile

Profile Described By: Richard MacEwan, 7 December 1999.
Page top