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Site WW14

Location: Lillimur South

Australian Soil Classification: Vertic, Mottled-Mesonatric, Grey SODOSOL
Northcote Factual Key: Dy5.43
Great Soil Group: solodic

Site 14 Landscape
Site WW14 Landscape


General Landscape Description: This soil occurs in the lower slope of the landscape. It often forms a transition to areas of deeper sands which occur on crests and upper slopes above this unit (often greater than 1.5 metres on the crests). Dry heath vegetation is associated with this map unit i.e. Stringbarks, Grass Trees and Tea Trees are indicative of the deeper sands.

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil
A1



A2		0-10 cm



10-35 cm		Very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2) sand (organic); weak consistence when dry; pH 5.8; abrupt transition to:

Pink (7.5YR7/4) sand; conspicuously bleached when dry; structureless; weak consistence when dry; a few subrounded ferruginised (‘buckshot’) gravels; thin (2-5 mm) capping directly above the clay, with a very strong consistence when dry; pH 6.5; sharp transition to:

Site Profile
Site WW14 Profile
Subsoil

B2135-70 cmPale brown (10YR6/3) changing at depth to yellowish brown (10YR5/6) medium clay; coarse distinct red, light grey and yellowish brown mottles are abundant; moderate blocky structure (peds 20-50 mm), parting to moderate polyhedral structure (peds 10-20 mm) with strong polyhedral structure in patches (peds 5-10 mm); strong consistence when dry; dispersive when worked; pH 6.4; clear transition to:

B2270-120 cmYellowish brown (10YR5/6) medium clay; with dark stains down prism faces; moderate to strong prismatic structure (peds 50-100 mm), parting to moderate blocky structure (peds 20-50 mm); strong consistence when slightly moist; pockets of clayey sand occur; pH 8.2; gradual transition to:

B23120-150 cmYellow (10YR7/8) medium clay; strong lenticular structure in patches; firm to very firm consistence when moderately moist; pH 8.8; gradual transition to:

B31150-170 cmBrownish yellow (10YR6/6) sandy clay (with patches of grey); firm consistence when moderately moist; pH 8.6; gradual transition to:

B32170-200+Pinkish grey (7.5YR6/2) sandy clay loam; with veins of bluish grey (5B6/1) clay and red flecks of quartz sand; firm consistence when moderately moist; pH 8.7.
Soil Profile Characteristics:


pH
Salinity
Internal Drainage
Hydro-phobicity
Surface
(A1 horizon)
moderately acid
very low
non-sodic
-
-
medium
Subsoil
(B21 horizon)
slightly acid
very low
strongly sodic
nil1
imperfectly drained2
-
Deeper subsoil
(at 1 metre)
moderately alkaline
low-medium
strongly sodic
strong1
-
-
1 Complete dispersion after remoulding.
2 Most impeding horizon of the profile that will affect plant growth.

Graph

Key Profile Features:
    • Sandy surface soil.
    • Water repellent surface soil.
    • Acidic surface soil.
    • Bleached A2 horizon.
    • Strong texture contrast between surface soil and subsoil.
    • Sodic subsoil.
    • Mottled subsoil.
    • Subsoil disperses following cultivation when wet.
    • Alkaline subsoil at depth.
    • Vertic properties (ie. lenticular structure) in deeper subsoils.
Soil Restrictions and Management Prescriptions:
Feature
Result
Management Prescription
Sandy surface soil.
      • Poor plant available water holding capacity.
      • Poor nutrient holding capacity.
      • Increased risk of wind erosion.
      • Potential for hydrophobicity.
Dryland cropping.
      • Minimum tillage and stubble retention, improve organic matter through maintenance of vegetative cover and growing green manure crops.
      • Establish wind protection barriers.
Horticulture.
      • Improve organic matter through maintenance of vegetative cover and growing green manure crops.
      • Establish wind protection barriers. Increase frequency of fertiliser (eg side dressings) and irrigations.
Hydrophobic surface soil.
      • Poor infiltration of water into the soil.
      • Increased risk of water erosion.
      • Poor seed germination.
      • Maintenance of surface vegetative cover.
      • Claying (application of subsoil clay from other areas directly to the soil surface).
Acidic surface soil.
      • Potential nutrient imbalance.
      • Unsuitable for acid intolerant plants.
      • Apply lime.
Bleached A2 horizon.
      • Indication of waterlogged conditions (impeded internal drainage) within the surface soil.
      • Poor soil structure (often massive).
      • Low organic matter, water holding capacity and nutrition within the horizon.
Dryland cropping.
      • Include deep rooted crops in the rotation, minimum tillage and stubble retention.
      • Apply gypsum if the surface soil is responsive to gypsum.
      • Optimise plant growth through a regular and balanced fertiliser program.
Horticulture.
      • Improve organic matter through maintaining optimum plant growth and growing green manure crops between the rows.
      • Minimum tillage and surface vegetative cover.
      • Apply gypsum if the surface soil is responsive to gypsum.
      • Optimise plant growth through a regular and balanced fertiliser program.
      • Install subsoil drainage (if appropriate).
Strong textural contrast between surface soil and subsoil (duplex).
      • Strong texture and structure difference between the surface soil and the subsoil, can result in impeded internal drainage and restricted root growth.
      • Improve organic matter through maintenance of vegetative cover and growing green manure crops.
      • Reduce tillage.
      • Mounding for orchards.
      • Optimise plant growth through a regular balanced fertiliser program.
      • Consider sub-surface drainage (if appropriate).
Sodic clay subsoil.
      • Poor water and air movement into the subsoil resulting in waterlogging (impeded internal drainage).
      • Poor root growth into the subsoil reducing the volume of the soil able to be exploited.
      • Gypsum applications if the subsoil is close to the surface and surface soil textures are light.
Dryland cropping.
      • Include deep rooted crops in the rotation, minimum tillage and stubble retention.
Horticulture.
      • Deep ripping with gypsum.
      • Install tile drainage (if appropriate).
Mottled subsoil.
      • Indication of periodic waterlogging, particularly if grey and yellow mottles predominate.
      • Consider sub-surface drainage (if appropriate).
      • Apply gypsum if subsoil is sodic and close to the surface.
Dispersion when reworked.
      • Indication of soil sodicity. The soil structure collapses following tillage and wetting. This results in poor soil structure that reduces water movement and plant root growth (see sodic subsoil).
      • Increases water erosion hazard.
      • Do not cultivate wet soil (cultivate when moist.)
      • Apply gypsum if growing high value crops.

Land Suitability Rating Table:
LAND USE
SUITABILITY CLASS
MAJOR LIMITING COMPONENT
Wheat
2
Climate, landscape, soil
Canola
2
Climate, landscape, soil
Chickpeas
3
Climate, soil
Lentils
3
Climate, soil
White clover seed
2
Climate, landscape, soil
Lucerne for seed production
3
Soil
Viticulture
3
Soil
Apples
2
Climate, landscape, soil
Potatoes
3
Landscape, soil
Carrots
3
Landscape, soil
Onions
3
Landscape
Sweet corn
3
Soil
Radiata Pine
2
Climate, landscape, soil
Blue Gum
2
Climate, landscape, soil


Land Suitability Assessment and Primary Limitations:
Wheat Climate2*Moderate to high frost risk, moderate to high rainfall.
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard.
Soil2Clay subsoil, slightly impeded internal drainage, hydrophobicity.
CanolaClimate2#Moderate to high frost risk, slightly high rainfall.
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard.
Soil2Slightly impeded internal drainage, hydrophobicity.
ChickpeasClimate3High rainfall.
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard, wind erosion hazard.
Soil3Sandy surface soil, impeded internal drainage.
LentilsClimate3High rainfall.
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard, wind erosion.
Soil3Sandy surface soil, impeded internal drainage.
White clover seedClimate2+Moderate frost risk, moderate to high rainfall.
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard.
Soil2Slightly impeded internal drainage, hydrophobicity.
Lucerne for seed productionClimate2Moderate frost risk.
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard.
Soil3Impeded internal drainage.
ViticultureClimate2#Moderate to high frost risk.
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard.
Soil3Impeded internal drainage.
ApplesClimate2#Moderate to high frost risk, slightly high mean maximum January temperature.
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard.
Soil2Slightly impeded internal drainage, hydrophobicity.
PotatoesClimate2Slightly high mean maximum January temperature.
Landscape3Gully erosion hazard.
Soil3Impeded internal drainage.
CarrotsClimate1No major limitation.
Landscape3Gully erosion hazard.
Soil3Impeded internal drainage.
Onions Climate2Moderate frost risk.
Landscape3Gully erosion hazard.
Soil2Sandy surface soil, slightly impeded internal drainage, hydrophobicity.
Sweet cornClimate2Slightly low mean monthly temperature (October - March).
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard.
Soil3Sandy surface soil.
Radiata PineClimate2**Moderate to low rainfall, slightly high mean maximum January temperature.
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard.
Soil2Slightly impeded internal drainage.
Blue GumClimate2**Moderate to low rainfall, slightly high mean maximum January temperature .
Landscape2Gully erosion hazard.
Soil2Slightly impeded internal drainage.
* Some areas may be higher frost risk and rainfall.
# Some areas may be higher frost risk.
+ Some areas may have higher rainfall.
** Some areas may have lower rainfall.

Profile Described By: David Rees, Nathalie Baxter (January 1997).
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