SFS7

Aust. Soil Class.:Eutrophic, Mottled-Subnatric, Grey SODOSOL

SFS 7

Surface Soil			SFS 7
A1	0-5 cm	Brown (10YR 4/3); fine sandy loam; apedal; weak surface seal; firm consistence; pH 5.6; abrupt change to:
A2	5-25/30 cm	Brown (10YR 5/3 moist), conspicuously bleached (10YR 7/2 dry); sandy loam; rusty (10YR 4/6) root channel mottling; apedal; weak to firm consistence; pH 5.6; clear & wavy change to:
Subsoil
B21	25/30-50 cm	Dark grey (10YR 4/1), with many (20-50%), fine yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; medium heavy clay; contains minor (1%) round buckshot; medium to coarse rough/irregular prismatic (40-80 mm), parting to rough blocky/polyhedral peds; pH 6.3; gradual change to:
B22	50-80 cm	Olive brown (2.5Y 4/3-5/3); with yellowish brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; medium heavy clay; apedal; massive; sticky; minor rounded buckshot (5-10 mm); pH 6.5; gradual change to:
B23	80 cm+	Light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3 moist); with faint light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/4) mottles; medium heavy clay; apedal; massive; sticky; few (1-5%) buckshot, some fine (<5 mm), rounded quartz; pH 6.7.

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

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl2)	EC dS/m	NaCl	Exchangeable Cations
						Ca	Mg	K	Na
						meq/100g
Ap		5.6	4.9	0.15		3.5	1.4	0.24	0.38
A1	0-5	6.9	6.5	0.34	0.02	9.1	1.2	0.4	<0.1
A2	5-25/30	5.6	4.7	<0.05		0.77	0.49	0.07	0.11
B21	25/30-50	6.3	4.8	0.09		4.6	9.4	0.4	2
B22	50-80	6.5	5.1	0.14		4.5	12	0.44	3.5
B23	80+	6.7	5.7	0.23		4.2	12	0.36	4.6

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)
Ap		<10	6	16.4	6.4	26.3	47.1	10	13
A1	0-5		4.7	19.8	10	23.9	45	11	13
A2	5-25/30	<10	1.9	12.6	2.2	30.2	49.7	12.5	8.5
B21	25/30-50	36	10	36.7	19.6	19	28.1	6.5	44
B22	50-80		10	42.4	22.3	14.7	26.4	6.5	49.5
B23	80+		7.1	38.6	19.8

Management Considerations:

Whole Profile

• Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is considered to be low (estimated at 88 mm) in the upper 80 cm of this soil profile. Effective rooting depth (ERD) is restricted to 80 cm due to the highly sodic subsoils (ESP>20).

• Raised beds 1998, canola. Dry winter, no difference between beds and conventional (2+t/ha). Pit excavated in conventionally cultivated part of paddock to west side of beds. Midslope, gently sloping, flat, northerly aspect.
• Horizon Ap from a one year old raised bed which had been tilled once. Remaining horizons collected from undisturbed pasture.
• Profile described by Richard MacEwan, May 1999.