Victorian Resources Online (archived)
IS23
Location: Riverside
Australian Soil Classification: Epicalcareous-Endohypersodic, Self-Mulching, Grey VERTOSOL
Northcote Factual Key: Ug5.2
Great Soil Group: grey clay
Soil Type: Horsham Clay.
General Landscape Description: Plain (stagnant).
Geology: Quaternary Coonambidgal Formation: fluvial to lacustrine clays and sands
| IS23 Landscape |
Soil Profile Morphology:
Surface Soil
| A1 | 0-10 cm | Dark grey (10YR4/1); light clay; cracking and self-mulching surface condition; moderate subangular blocky structure; very strong consistence dry; slightly sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 7.9; sharp boundary to: |  IS23 Profile |
| Subsoil | |||
| B2 | 10-55 cm | Greyish brown (2.5Y5/2); light clay; plastic; moderate coarse prismatic structure strong consistence dry; moderately sticky consistence wet; very few (<2%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 8.2. | |
| B3k | 55-115 cm | Pale olive (5Y6/3); medium clay; plastic; moderate coarse lenticular structure (slickensides); strong consistence dry; sticky consistence wet; few (2-10%) hard carbonate segregations; pH 8.6. | |
Chemical and Physical Analysis:
Horizon | Sample Depth cm | pH H2O | EC dS/m | Sodium Chloride % | Exchangeable Calcium cmol-/kg | Exchangeable Magnesium cmol-/kg | Exchangeable Potassium cmol-/kg | Exchangeable Sodium cmol-/kg | Total Nitrogen % | Exchangeable Acidity cmol-/kg | Organic Carbon % | Permanent Wilting Point -1500okPa | Coarse Sand % | Fine Sand % | Silt % | Clay % |
A1 | 0–10 | 7.9 | 0.42 | 0.07 | 18.3 | 7.5 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.17 | 3.7 | 1.84 | 21.6 | 8 | 29 | 10 | 50 |
B2 | 10–55 | 8.2 | 1.28 | 0.25 | 17.3 | 12.6 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.06 | 2.7 | 0.52 | 22.9 | 7 | 23 | 4 | 61 |
B3k | 55–115 | 8.6 | 2.06 | 0.44 | 8.9 | 17.5 | 2 | 7.3 | 0.03 | 2.3 | 0.24 | 23.8 | 6 | 20 | 10 | 58 |
Management Considerations:
- Cracking clay soil.
- Alkaline profile.
- Shallow to moderately deep surface soil, generally self mulching.
- Subsoil is sodic, with high saline and magnesium levels in the deep subsoil.
- Yellow hue (5Y) and pale colour in deep subsoil indicates reduced conditions, poor internal drainage.
- Roots may penetrate upper subsoil, but difficult physical and chemical environment below 55 cm.
- Landform element, plain; slow site drainage.
Profile Described By: John Martin, Nabil Badawy, Ron Cawood, Geoff Pope, John Galea, John Turner (1970).
