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Site GN9

Location: Dookie
Australian Soil Classification: Haplic, Eutrophic, Red CHROMOSOL (thin gravelly surface; moderately deep profile).
General Landscape Description: Mid slope of hill (2-3 degrees slope) with a NW aspect.	Soil Mapping Unit: Skeletal Soils (Downes 1949).
Soil Management Unit (Briggs 1995): 'Rocky Grazing Country'.	Occurrence: Found on higher slopes and hill tops where topography and rocks limit cropping practices.
Site Description: Grazing paddock.
Native Vegetation: Yellow box (Eucalyptus melliodora) are predominantly found in this soil. Found downslope are White cypress pine/Murray pine (Callitris columellaris) and Sheoak (Allocasuarina stricta), while Grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) can be found on the heavier sites.

Site GN9 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-10 cm	Dark red (2.5YR3/6); heavy clay loam (fine sandy); hardsetting; moderate coarse polyhedral structure; very firm consistence (dry); few surface rocks (sandstone and quartz); pH 6.3; sharp change to:	Site GN9 Profile
Subsoil
B21	10-50 cm	Dark red (2.5YR3/6); medium heavy clay; strong coarse to medium prismatic, parting to coarse blocky to fine blocky structure; strong consistence (dry); few (3%) coarse fragments of weathered parent rock (4 cm av. size); pH 6.8; sharp and wavy change to:
B22	50-70 cm	Red (2.5YR4/6); medium clay; firm consistence (moist); pH 7.6; many (20-25 %) coarse fragments of weathered parent rock (1 cm av. size); sharp and irregular change to:
C	70+ cm	Weathered rock with some clay veins.

Key Profile Features:

• Strong texture contrast between surface (A1) and subsoil (B21) horizon
• Identifying Characteristics - These soils generally have a rocky surface and are found on the hill tops and higher ground. Often too rocky to crop, they are suitable for grazing over wet winter months as they stay dry.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface soil (A1 horizon)	Slightly Acid	Low	Non-Sodic	None
Upper subsoil 10 - 50 cm	Slightly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None
Deeper subsoil (at 50 - 70 cm)	Slightly Alkaline	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	pH (water)	pH (CaCl2)	EC 1:5	Exchangeable Cations				Exch. Al mg/kg	Exch. Acidity meq/100 g	Field Capacity pF 2.5	Wilting Point pF 4.2	Coarse Sand (0.2 -2 mm)	Fine Sand (0.02 -0.2 mm)	Silt (0.002 -0.02 mm)	Clay (<0.00 2 mm)
					Ca	Mg	K	Na
					meq/100g
A1	0-10	6.3	5.7	0.14	8.5	6.6	1.4	<0.1	<10	2.7	28.3	17.3	13.4	27.9	13.5	39.0
B21	10-50	6.8	5.8	<0.05	9.3	11.9	0.5	0.1	<10	9.0	30.8	23.7	8.6	15.0	10.5	60.0
B22	50-70	7.9	6.6	<0.05	20.5	27.6	0.2	0.2	11	7.5			14.7	30.7	26.0	23.0
C	70+

Management Considerations (Briggs 1995):

Favourable Characteristics

• Drainage - The sloping topography and free-draining nature of the soil results in good drainage.

Limiting Features

• Erosion - This soil has the potential to erode when there is insufficient ground cover and when the slope is quite steep.
• Recharge Hazard - These soils are considered to be high recharge soils and high contributors to the groundwater levels lower in the landscape.
• Workability/Trafficability - Cropping the rocky grazing country has proven difficult due to topography and rocky surfaces.

Cropping Considerations

• This soil is not suited to cropping due to the topography and surface rock cover.

Pasture Considerations

• The rocky grazing country provides good winter grazing, as generally the soils are drier than for the heavier soils. Pasture establishment is feasible by aerial sowing. This will provide ground cover and increase productivity of the area.
• Current Possibilities - Phalaris (Australian Holdfast, Sirosa mix), cocksfoot (Porto), Trikkala, Goulburn, lucerne (depending on pH and terrain).

References:

Management Considerations based on booklet: ' Soil Management Units in the Dookie Land Management Group Area' - compiled by Suzanne Briggs. Agriculture Victoria,1995.

Downes R.G. (1949). 'Soil, Land-Use, and Erosion Survey around Dookie, Victoria' , Bulletin 243, CSIRO, Victoria.

Profile Described By: Mark Imhof, John Martin and Sonia Thompson (4/5/94).