Victorian Resources Online (archived)
Site IS9
Location: Murtoa
Australian Soil Classification: Endocalcareous-Endohypersodic, Self-Mulching, Grey VERTOSOL
General Landscape Description: Hillslope of a gently undulating plain.
Geology: Pliocene Parilla Sand: marine sand and silt.
Soil Profile Morphology:
Surface Soil
| A1 | 0-10 cm | Dark greyish brown (10YR4/2); light clay; subplastic; cracking and self-mulching surface condition; weak coarse granular structure; very weak consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; pH 8.5; sharp boundary to: | |
| Subsoil | |||
| B21 | 10-45 cm | Dark grey (10YR4/1); medium clay; subplastic; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; pH 9.1: | |
| B22 | 45-95 cm | Dark grey (10YR4/1); medium clay; subplastic; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 9.3: | |
| B23 | 95-110 cm | Grey (10YR5/1); medium clay; subplastic; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 9.2: | |
| B24 | 110-145 cm | Grey (10YR5/1) with (7.5YR6/6) mottles; medium clay; subplastic; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 9.2; gradual boundary to: | |
| B31 | 145-190 | Reddish yellow (7.5YR6/6) with (10YR5/2) mottles; heavy clay; plastic; moderate coarse subangular blocky structure; strong consistence dry; moderately sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 9.0; gradual boundary to: | |
| B32 | 190-220 | Reddish yellow (7.5YR6/6) with (2.5YR4/8) mottles; medium heavy clay sandy; plastic; moderate coarse blocky structure; strong consistence dry; moderately sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations and few (2-10%) weathered sandstone; pH 8.9. | |
Soil Profile Characteristics:
Horizon | Sample Depth cm | pH | EC dS/m | Sodium Chloride % | Exchangeable Calcium cmol-/kg | Exchangeable Magnesium cmol-/kg | Exchangeable Potassium cmol-/kg | Exchangeable Sodium cmol-/kg | Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg | Exchangeable Acidity cmol-/kg | Field Capacity -30okPa | Permanent Wilting Point -1500okPa | Coarse Sand % | Fine Sand % | Silt % | Clay % | |
H2O | CaCl2 | ||||||||||||||||
A1 | 0–10 | 8.5 | NA | 0.18 | 0.01 | 31.2 | 3.9 | 1.7 | 1.2 | NA | 2.5 | NA | 22.6 | 12 | 17 | 9 | 58 |
B21 | 10–45 | 9.1 | NA | 0.22 | 0.02 | 26 | 8 | 1.4 | 2.9 | NA | NA | NA | 34.1 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 59 |
B22 | 45–95 | 9.3 | NA | 0.43 | 0.05 | 20 | 11.3 | 1.3 | 8.4 | NA | NA | NA | 28.2 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 58 |
B23 | 95–110 | 9.2 | NA | 0.7 | 0.09 | 17.4 | 12.6 | 1.6 | 12.9 | NA | NA | NA | 30.4 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 59 |
B24 | 110–145 | 9.2 | NA | 0.9 | 0.1 | 16.5 | 12.2 | 1.5 | 13.1 | NA | NA | NA | 28.7 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 62 |
B31 | 145–190 | 9.0 | NA | 1.16 | 0.15 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 28.2 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 62 |
B32 | 190–220 | 8.9 | NA | 1.01 | 0.12 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 20.6 | 28 | 12 | 8 | 50 |
Management Considerations:
- Cracking (vertic) clay soil, high clay content decreasing at depth (with sandstone inclusions).
- Highly alkaline soil, decreasing at depth.
- Friable, self-mulching surface, subplastic (seems lighter than lab data would suggest).
- High calcium levels in surface and upper subsoil, decreasing with depth.
- Sodic subsoil, becoming strongly sodic below 60 cm.
- High salt levels below 95 cm.
- Landscape element, hillslope; moderate site drainage.
