Victorian Resources Online (archived)

EGS257

Location: Glenaladale North

Australian Soil Classification: Bleached-Sodic, Magnesic, Brown CHROMOSOL

Previous Site Name: EG257

General Landscape Description: Rolling to steep low hills .
Site description: Upper slope, NNW aspect 5% slope
Land Use: Grazing
Native Vegetation: Shrubby dry forest
Geology: Late Devonian freshwater sediments

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0 – 10 cm	Very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2); fine sandy clay loam; moderate fine subangular blocky structure; few (2-10%) fine (<2 mm) round ferruginous concretions firm consistence dry; pH 5.2;clear change to:	EG257 Profile
A2	10– 25 cm	Dark greyish brown (10YR4/2), conspicuously bleached, light brownish grey dry (10YR6/2d); fine sandy clay loam; massive; few fine round ferruginous concretions; pH 5.4; abrupt change to:
Subsoil
B21	25 – 40 cm	Brown (7.5YR4/3) with common (10 -20%) fine yellowish brown (7.5YR5/6) mottles; medium clay; strong very coarse prismatic structure parting to fine angular blocky; very strong dry; few (2-10%) rounded tabular cobbles (<200 mm); pH 5.6; gradual change to:
B22	40 – 70 cm	Brown (10YR4/3); medium heavy clay; strong coarse prismatic structure; few fine round organicsegregations; very strong dry; pH 5.9; diffuse change to:
B23	70 – 120 cm	Dark yellowish brown (10YR4/4); heavy clay; moderate coarse polyhedral structure; few fine round organic segregations; very strong dry; pH 7.8; changing to:
R	120+ cm	Decomposing rock.

Key Profile Features:

Strong texture contrast between the surface (A) and subsoil (B) horizons.
Strongly bleached subsurface horizon.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

	pH	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface soil (A horizon)	Strongly Acid	Non-Sodic	-
Subsoil (B21 horizon)	Moderately Acid	Non-Sodic	None
Deep subsoil (B23 horizon)	Slightly Alkaline	Sodic	Moderate

¹ Slight dispersion after remoulding. ² Strong dispersion after remoulding.

Chemical and Physical Analysis:

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH CaCl₂	CE dS/m	Organic Carbon %	Total Nitrogen %	Exchangeable Aluminium	Exchangeable Acididty meq/100g	Exchangeable Cations				Coarse Sand (0.2-2.0 mm) %	Fine Sand (0.02-0.2 mm) %	Silt (0.002-0.02 mm) %	Clay (<0.002 mm) %	Field Capacity % w/w	Wilting Point % w/w
									Ca	Mg	K	Na
									meq/100g
A1	0-10	5.2	4.4	0.07	7.4	3.9	96	14	1.5	0.8	0.1	<0.1	5	61	17	8	24.9	6.4
A2	10-25	5.4	4.4	<0.05	2.1	1.1	73	9.1	0.5	0.9	<0.1	0.2	6	60	17	12	21.1	4.8
B21	25-40	5.6	4.4	0.11			200	16	0.5	6.5	0.1	1.2	2	28	13	56	34.7	19.1
B22	40-70	5.9	4.8	0.18			82	14	0.2	11	0.1	2	1	15	11	72	41.6	23.3
B23	70-120	7.8	6.8	0.17			<5	4.4	<0.1	10	<0.1	1.8	1	22	22	55	35.6	19.1

Management Considerations

Whole profile

Plant available water capacity is considered to be quite low (estimated at 37 mm) for this soil profile. This is based on an estimated effective rooting depth of 32 cm (i.e. surface soil and the top of the clay horizon). The dense and coarsely structured upper subsoil is likely to restrict rooting depth.

Surface (A) horizons

The surface soil is strongly acid. This indicates aluminium toxicity could occur in crops sensitive to aluminium toxicity, eg lucerne. Test strips may be used to determine if lime is economically justified.
The surface (A1) horizon has a very low nutrient holding capacity (based on the sum of the exchangeable calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium cations). Organic matter is important for maintaining soil fertility, water holding capacity and enhancing surface soil structure; especially in soils such as these with high fine sand contents.
Potassium is very low and a response to potassium fertiliser would be expected.
The low wilting point values (i.e. 6.4 and 4.8) of the surface horizons indicate plants will be able to utilise very light rains when the soil is dry. However, due to the low water storage capacity, plants will soon suffer moisture stress unless further rainfall occurs.
The presence of a conspicuously bleached subsurface (A2) horizon indicates periodic waterlogging occurs above the more slowly permeable subsoil. This horizon also has a very low inherent fertility and will become ‘spewy’ when wet.

Subsoil (B) horizons

The dense and coarsely structured subsoil is sodic. This will result in significantly restricted root and water movement into the subsoil. The use of gypsum in association with deep ripping has been advocated by some researchers as an effective way to ameliorate sodic subsoils, but this may not be an economic option. Deep ripping should not be carried out when the subsoil is in a moist to wet condition.
The deep subsoil slakes considerably and shows moderate dispersion when wet. Such soils are prone to tunnel and gully erosion, particularly where subsoil water accumulates, for example in gullies.
The low exchangeable calcium to magnesium ratio (<0.1) in the subsoil indicates some nutrient imbalances (eg calcium deficiency) could occur.

Profile Described By: Ian Sargeant, 2001.

This page contains material sourced from the Victorian Resources Online (VRO) website, originally published by the State Government of Victoria.

The content is provided under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia licence (CC BY 4.0 AU).

This material is presented in an archived form and is no longer maintained or updated. It is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon as current advice.

This site is hosted by the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI), Federation University Australia. It is not endorsed by Agriculture Victoria.

Agriculture Victoria does not accept liability for any loss, damage or consequences arising from the use of, or reliance on, this material.