Victorian Resources Online (archived)
GRES489
Location: Bindi
Australian Soil Classification: Haplic, Lithocalcic, Brown DERMOSOL
Map Unit: Bindi (Component 3)
Previous Site Name: AL33
General Landscape Description: Undulating low hills
Site description: Mid-slope of alluvial fan, 10% slope (sample site within an old disused sheepyard)
Land Use: Grazing on annual pasture
Native Vegetation: Open forest
Geology: Devonian limestone
Soil Profile Morphology:
| Surface soil | |||
| A1 | 0 – 10 cm | Very dark brown (10YR3/3); clay loam; moderate fine (5 - 10 mm) sub-angular blocky structure; very hard dry; clear change to: | |
| A2 | 10 – 15 cm | Dark brown (7.5YR3/3); light clay; moderate medium (10 – 20 mm) angular blocky structure; very hard consistence dry; clear change to: | |
Subsoil | |||
| B21 | 15 – 90 cm | Dark reddish brown (5YR3/4); medium clay; strong medium (10 – 20 mm) sub-angular blocky structure; firm consistence moist; diffuse change to: | |
| B22 | 90 – 180 cm | Yellowish red (5YR4/6); medium clay; 2% calcareous nodules (2 mm) | |
Key Profile Features:
- Lack of texture contrast between the surface (A) horizon and the subsoil (B) horizon.
Soil Profile Characteristics:
- | pH | Salinity | |
Surface soil (A1 horizon) | Moderately Acid | Very Low | Non-sodic |
Subsoil (B21 horizon) | Sightly Acid | Very Low | Non-sodic |
Deeper subsoil | Slightly Alkaline | Very Low | Non-sodic |
Chemical and Physical Analysis:
Horizon | Horizon Depth (cm) | pH (water) | EC dS/m | Organic Carbon % | Total Nitrogen % | Free Fe2O3 % w/w | 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) % | |||
Ca | Mg | K | Na | ||||||||||||
meq/100g | |||||||||||||||
A11 | 0-5 | 6.1 | 0.15 | 4.2 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 0.05 | 1 | 24 | 33 | 34 |
A11 | 5-10 | 6.0 | <0.05 | ||||||||||||
A2 | 10-15 | 6.3 | <0.05 | 1.8 | 0.19 | 3.0 | 8.8 | 9.8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.05 | 2 | 28 | 27 | 40 |
B21 | 20-30 | 6.8 | <0.05 | 0.69 | 0.10 | 3.6 | 5.6 | 10.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.05 | 2 | 28 | 24 | 44 |
B22 | 90-120 | 7.4 | <0.05 | 4.4 | 11.2 | 13.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 3 | 21 | 14 | 59 | ||
B22 | 1.5-1.8 | 7.6 | <0.05 | 4.0 | 7.8 | 16.9 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 3 | 17 | 16 | 59 | ||
Management Considerations
Whole profile
- Plant available water here is considered to be moderate. Roots were found to 60 cm with some at 90 cm.
- The surface soil here is moderately acid. For pastures, it is unnecessary to add lime.
- Potassium levels are high so plant responses to potassium fertiliser are most unlikely. However it should be noted the sampling site was within an old sheepyard.
- The nutrient holding capacity of the surface (A1 and B21) horizons is moderate (based on the sum of the exchangeable calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium cations).
- The subsoil would be relatively well drained as there is no sharp increase in clay content at the A/B boundary. The subsoil horizons are non-sodic and not coarsely structured, which will enable plant roots to penetrate easily.
Profile Described By: J.M. Aldrick, 1978.
