Victorian Resources Online (archived)

SFS21

Location: Cressy

Australian Soil Classification: Melanic, Hypercalcic, Black VERTOSOL (or DERMOSOL) (Clayey)

General Landscape Description: Lunette
Site Description: Crest.
Land Use: Pasture prior to forming into raised beds for cropping. Southern Farming Systems (SFS) trial site.
Geology: Quaternary aeolian deposits: sand, clay, calcareous sand

SFS21 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil			SFS21 Profile
A11	0-10 cm	Black (10YR2/1); self mulching suface condition; light clay; fine crumb structure; pH 6.3; clear change to:
A12	10-30 cm	Black (10YR2/1); light clay; rough peds; fine to medium polyhedral structure; strong consistence; pH 6.3; clear change to:
Subsoil
B21	30-60 cm	Very dark grey (7.5YR3/1); light medium clay; moderate coarse polyhedral, parting to strong fine polyhedral structure; pH 7.3; clear change to:
B22k	60-130+ cm	Light brownish grey (2.5Y6/2); light medium clay; apedal; very common fine pores; some larger root channels infilled with A and B horizon material; highly calcareous; pH 8.5.

Key Profile Features:

Well structured soil profile.
Very calcareous in deeper subsoil.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Slightly Acid	Low	Non-Sodic	None
Subsoil (B21 horizon)	Slightly Alkaline	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None¹
Deeper Subsoil (at 75-85 cm)	Moderately Alkaline	Low	Non-Sodic	None

¹ Slight dispersion after remoulding.

The pH in the surface is slightly acid. The pH in the subsoil is slightly alkaline, becoming moderately alkaline with depth.

The salinity rating is low to very low throughout the profile.

The clay content increases sharply at the surface / subsoil interface.

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl₂)	EC dS/m	NaCl	Exchangeable Cations
						Ca	Mg	K	Na
						meq/100g
A1	0-10	6.3	5.9	0.30	0.04	11.0	5.5	2.3	0.3
A12	10-30	6.3	5.7	0.09		12.0	8.0	2.6	0.27
B21	30-60	7.3	6.8	0.19		18.0	16.0	2.6	0.41
B22k	60-130+	8.5	8.0	0.26		24.0	15.0	1.4	0.48

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg	Exchangeable Acidity meq/100g	Oxidisable Organic Carbon %	Total Nitrogen %	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)


A1	0-10		11	4.2	0.4	36.3	20.9	12	19	16	45
A12	10-30	<10	8.7			33.2	20.6	16	17	13	48
B21	30-60					48.6	31.4	5	8	7	72
B22k	60-130+					39.3	25.2	3	7	9	43

Management Considerations:

The lunette soils in the Victorian Volcanic Plain may have sandy or clay profiles, with clay profiles, as in this case (SFS21), being generally more common. Occurrence is very localised and of limited spatial extent. The soils are well structured and have high fertility. Site drainage is usually good but because the clay content is high and the clays swell, internal drainage is often poor and the soil surface becomes sticky and difficult to manage when wet.

Whole Profile

Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is considered to be medium (estimated at 125 mm) in the upper 100 cm of this soil profile.

Profile Described By: Richard MacEwan & Mark Imhof (September 2000).

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