Victorian Resources Online (archived)

GP80

Location: Athlone	*Aust. Soil Class.:* Bleached-Acidic, Eutrophic, Brown DERMOSOL
Geology: Cretaceous sandstone.

GP80 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-8 cm	Very dark brown (10YR 3/2); very fine sandy clay loam; moderate to strong (3 mm) polyhedral structure; firm consistence (dry); pH 4.8; abrupt change to:	GP80 Profile
A2	8-20 cm	Dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) conspicuously bleached (10YR 7/2 dry); fine sandy clay loam; weak (6 mm) blocky structure; very firm consistence (dry); pH 4.8; clear change to:
A22	20-40 cm	Dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4); conspicuously bleached (10YR 7/2 dry) colour; very fine sandy clay loam; weak very coarse blocky structure; very firm consistence (dry); pH 5.0; clear change to:
Subsoil
B1	45-60 cm	Yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) with yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) mottles (20%); clay loam; weak to moderate coarse blocky structure; firm consistence (dry); pH 5.1; clear change to:
B21	60-75 cm	Yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) with strong brown (10YR 5/8) mottles; sandy clay; medium coarse blocky parting to weak medium blocky structure; pH 5.2; clear change to:
C	75 cm	Mottled rock.

Key Profile Features:

Gradual increase in dry content with depth down the profile.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	Very Strongly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None
Subsoil (B21 horizon)	Strongly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None
Deeper Subsoil (at 60-75 cm)	Strongly Acid	Very Low	Non-Sodic	None

Horizon	Horizon Depth	pH (water)	pH CaCl2	EC 1:5	NaCl	Exchangeable Cations
						Ca	Mg	K	Na
						Meq/100g
A1	0-8	4.8	4.2	0.13		6.0	3.0	0.49	0.26
A21	8-20	4.8	4.1	<0.05		3.2	2.5	0.25	0.14
A22	20-40	5.0	4.1	<0.05		1.7	2.7	0.25	0.17
B1	40-60	5.1	4.2	<0.05		1.8	4.5	0.26	0.29
B21	60-75	5.2	4.6	0.06		3.5	7.9	0.37	0.61

Horizon	Horizon Depth	Ex Al mg/kg	Ex Ac meq/100g	Field pF 2.5	Wilting Point pF4.2 g/100g	Coarse Sand (0.2-2.0mm) %	Fine Sand (0.02-0.2mm) %	Silt (0.002-0.02mm) %	Clay (<0.002mm) %


A1	0-8	170	23	42.7	13.2	2.8	29.2	32.5	22.5
A21	8-20	390	19	36.2	21.9	0.8	34.1	36.0	24.5
A22	20-40	490	16	33.1	11.9	0.7	35.0	36.5	24.0
B1	40-60	410	15	32.2	11.5	0.4	33.2	35.5	28.5
B21	60-75	510	20	38.9	13.6	0.3	27.3	30.5	38.5

Management Considerations:

Whole Profile

High levels of exchangeable aluminium (increasing to very high levels in deeper subsoil) which will restrict the growth of aluminium sensitive species. High levels of aluminium will also test to "fix” phosphorus and make it less available to plants (and therefore reduce the effectiveness of applied phosphorus fertiliser). Raising the pH levels of the soil by liming will help reduce the level of exchangeable aluminium. A lime test (samples across the whole paddock) may be appropriate to determine the amount of lime needed to raise pH. Other factors need to be considered however before lime is recommended (e.g. species growth, method of application, long trial response, likely cost benefit).

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