LP83

Location: Frenchmans

Australian Soil Classification: Haplic, Mesotrophic, Red CHROMOSOL

Northcote Factual Key: Dr 2.21

General Landscape Description: Crest of hill (11% slope) on a Hills landform pattern.
Site Description: Grazing.
Geology: Palaeozoic (Cambrian) Warrack Formation: marine sediments (sandstone, siltstone, schist and slate).
Original Vegetation: Includes Red Stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha) and Yellow Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon)

LP83 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-10 cm	Dark reddish brown (5YR3/3); sandy loam; firm surface condition with many quartz pebbles and large sandstone boulders laying on the surface weak medium blocky structure; very weak consistence dry; contains many (25%) sandstone fragments (7 mm average diameter); pH 5.7; abrupt change to:	LP83 Profile
A2	10-25 cm	Reddish brown (5YR4/4); fine sandy clay loam; weak medium blocky, parting to moderate fine polyhedral structure; weak consistence dry; contains many (25%) fine sandstone fragments (10 mm average diameter); pH 6.2; clear change to:
Subsoil
B21	25-60 cm	Yellowish red (5YR4/6); medium clay; moderate medium polyhedral, parting to strong fine polyhedral structure; firm consistence dry; contains very few (< 2%) soft and hard manganiferous segregations (6-8 mm diameter); and many (50%) fine sandstone fragments (up to 100 mm diameter); pH 5.9; gradual change to:
BC	60+ cm	Mainly sandstone (90%). Contains (10%) yellowish red (5YR5/8); medium clay; contains very few (<1%) soft and hard manganiferous segregations (6-8 mm diameter), and very many (90%) fine sandstone fragments.

Key Profile Features:

• Strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizon and the upper subsoil (B21) horizon.
• Shallow soil profile.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Moderately Acid	Low	Non-Sodic	None1
Subsoil (B21 horizon)	Moderately Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None

¹ Slight dispersion with remoulding.

The profile is moderately acid throughout.

The salinity rating is low throughout the profile.

The profile is non-sodic throughout.

The clay percentage increases markedly at the surface / subsoil boundary.

Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl2)	EC dS/m	Nitrogen %	Organic Carbon %	Exchangeable Cations
							Ca	Mg	K	Na
							Meq/100g
A1	0-10	5.7	4.9	0.11	0.32	3.4	7.7	2.2	0.6	0.1
A2	10-25	6.2	5.3	<0.05			3.5	1.8	0.4	<0.1
B21	25-60	5.9	4.9	0.04			0.6	2.9	0.3	0.1

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	Field Capacity pF2.5	Wilting Point pF4.2	Coarse Sand (0.2-2.0mm)	Fine Sand (0.02-0.2mm)	Silt (0.002-0.02mm)	Clay (<0.002mm)
A1	0-10	36.2	10.3	18	37	29	16
A2	10-25	27.5	7.9	11	41	29	18
B21	25-60	26.8	10.4	13	26	25	32

Management Considerations:

Whole Profile

• Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is likely to be quite low for soils such as these that are shallow and contain large amounts of coarse fragments.

Surface (A) Horizons

• Exchangeable calcium levels are relatively high in the moderately acid surface horizon – suggesting that lime has been applied and that natural pH levels have been increased.
• Organic carbon and total nitrogen levels are reasonably high at this site. This is a good result as organic matter enhances the fertility, aggregate stability and water holding capacity of surface soils.

Subsoil (B) Horizon

• The subsoil has a low inherent fertility (based on the sum of the exchangeable basic cations).
• The soil profile will be reasonably well draining and these areas are likely to be significant recharge areas.

Comments from Landholder:

• Improved pasture with Phalaris and Cocksfoot.
• Stocked at 11/2 - 2 sheep per acre.
• Lower in the landscape, this country is susceptible to erosion and salinity.
• Very deficient in potassium.
• Molybdenum applied with superphosphate every 7 years.

Profile Described By: Paul Rampant, Sonia Thompson and Ruth Lourey (June 1995).