Property: Rutherglen Research Institute.
Paddock #: 10
Australian Soil Classification: Bleached-Sodic, Eutrophic, Yellow DERMOSOL
Northcote Factual Key: Gn 4
General Landscape Description: Higher part of plain.
Soil Mapping Unit: Unit 1 - a complex with Rutherglen Loam (brown phase) and varying proportions of normal phase, Types D and A.
Site NE36 Landscape |
Surface Soil | Site NE36 Profile | ||
A1 | 0-18 cm | Dark brown (7.5YR4/4); light fine sandy clay loam; weak to moderate coarse blocky structure; weak consistence moist; pH 5.5; abrupt change to: | |
A2 | 18-30 cm | Strong brown (7.5YR5/6) conspicuously bleached (7.5YR7/4d); fine sandy clay loam; weak coarse blocky structure; strong consistence dry; contains a few (10%) ferromanganiferous and manganese concretions (2-10 mm size) and manganese stains; pH 5.3; clear change to: | |
Subsoil | |||
B21 | 30-45 cm | Brownish yellow (10YR6/6); light clay; weak to moderate medium polyhedral structure; strong consistence dry; contains a few (10%) ferromanganiferous concretions (2-10 mm size) and a few (5%) angular quartz fragments (4 mm average size); pH 6.2; clear change to: | |
B22 | 45-60 cm | Brownish yellow (10YR6/8) with red (10R4/8) mottles; light medium clay; moderate medium, parting to moderate fine polyhedral structure, strong consistence dry; contains a few (5%) ferromanganiferous concretions (3-5 mm size); and a few (5%) angular quartz fragments (3 mm average size); pH 6.5: | |
B23 | 60-90 cm | Brownish yellow (10YR6/6) with red (10R4/8) mottles; light medium clay; moderate to strong medium polyhedral, parting to fine polyhedral structure; very firm consistence moderately moist; contains very few (2%) ferromanganiferous nodules, a few (5%) manganiferous stains, and angular quartz fragments (2 mm average size); pH 6.7; clear change to: | |
B24 | 90-120 cm | Yellowish brown (10YR5/4) with brownish yellow (10YR6/8) and red (10R4/8) mottles; light medium clay; moderate to strong coarse prismatic, parting to coarse blocky structure; very firm consistence moderately moist; contains a common (15%) amount of manganiferous stains, and a few (4%) angular quartz fragments (2-5 mm size); pH 7.3: | |
B3 | 120 cm+ | Light brownish grey (10YR6/2) with strong brown (7.5YR5/8) mottles; light medium clay; moderate to strong coarse prismatic, parting to moderate coarse blocky structure; contains a common (15%) amount of manganiferous stains; pH 8.1. |
The surface (A) horizons are strongly acid. The upper subsoil is moderately acid and pH increases with depth. The deeper subsoil is alkaline. | The upper metre of the soil profile is non-sodic and non-dispersive. The lower horizons are marginally sodic. | ||
There is a very low level of soluble salts throughout the soil profile. | There is a lack of strong texture contrast between the surface (A) horizons and the clayey subsoil. |
Horizon | Horizon Depth (cm) | pH (water) | pH (CaCl2) | EC 1:5 | Exchangeable Cations | Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg | Field Capacity pF 2.5 | Wilting Point pF 4.2 | Coarse Sand (0.2 - 2 mm) | Fine Sand (0.02 - 0.2 mm) | Silt (0.002 -0.02 mm) | Clay (<0.002 mm) | |||
Ca | Mg | K | Na | ||||||||||||
meq/100g | |||||||||||||||
A1 | 0-18 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 0.06 | 2.4 | 0.61 | 0.38 | 0.17 | 18 | 26 | 6 | 11 | 51 | 23 | 15 |
A1 | 18-30 | 5.3 | 4.3 | <0.05 | 2.4 | 0.75 | 0.3 | 0.09 | 44 | 22 | 7 | 11 | 47 | 21 | 24 |
B21 | 30-45 | 6.2 | 5.4 | <0.05 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 0.27 | 0.21 | 24 | 10 | 11 | 38 | 17 | 36 | |
B22 | 45-60 | 6.5 | 5.6 | <0.05 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 0.53 | 0.25 | 31 | 16 | 7 | 26 | 12 | 56 | |
B23 | 60-90 | 6.7 | 5.8 | <0.05 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 0.73 | 0.41 | 29 | 17 | |||||
B24 | 90-120 | 7.3 | 6 | <0.05 | 4.8 | 6.1 | 0.72 | 0.67 | |||||||
B3 | 120+ | 8.1 | 6.7 | <0.05 | 5.2 | 7.3 | 0.66 | 0.97 |