Site GN23

Location: East Shepparton Landcare Group.

Australian Soil Classification: Mottled, Eutrophic, Red KANDOSOL

General Landscape Description: Level plain with prior stream activity. This site is associated with channel deposits of a prior stream and has been mapped as Broken Sand by Skene and Freedman (1944). Peaches are currently grown here.

Site GN23 Landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-8cm	Brown (7.5YR4/4) sandy loam; weakly structured; firm consistence dry; contains a few (10%) quartz gravels (4-8 mm size); pH 6.4:	Site GN23 profile
B21	8-25cm	Dark red (2.5YR4/8) and red (2.5YR5/8) sandy clay loam; structureless; strong consistence dry; contains a common (20%) amount of quartz gravel (4-8 mm size); pH 6.4:
2A1	25-35cm	Yellowish red (5YR5/8) sandy loam; structureless; firm consistence dry; contains a common (15%) amount of quartz gravel (4-8 mm size); pH 6.7:
2A2	35-50cm	Light brown (7.5YR6/4) and reddish yellow (5YR6/8) sandy loam; structureless; firm consistence dry; contains a common (20%) amount of quartz gravel (4-8 mm size); pH 6.8:
Subsoil
2B1	50-85cm	Dark red (2.5YR4/8) with grey (10YR6/1) mottles coarse sandy clay loam; weakly structured; very firm consistence dry; contains a common (20%) amount of quartz gravel (4-8 mm size); pH 5.7:
2B2	85-95cm	Pale brown (10YR6/3) with yellowish red (5YR5/8) mottles; sandy clay loam; weakly structured; weak consistence moist; contains a few (10%) quartz gravels (4-8 mm size); pH 7.2:
2B3	95-130cm	Yellowish brown (10YR5/4) and strong brown (7.5YR5/8) fine sandy clay loam; weak coarse blocky, parting to moderate coarse blocky structure; weak consistence moist; contains pockets of very fine micaceous sand; pH 7.6:
2B4	130-140cm	Light brownish grey (10YR6/2) yellowish brown (10YR5/8); light medium clay (fine sandy) pH 7.6:
2B5	140cm+	Yellowish brown (10YR5/4) with bright yellowish brown (10YR5/8) mottles fine sandy clay loam; weak consistence moist; weak coarse blocky, parting to moderate medium polyhedral structure; pH 7.7.

Key Profile Features:

• Variable textured subsoil horizons due to prior stream channel deposition.
• High coarse sand and gravel content in top metre of soil profile.

Soil Profile Characteristics:

	pH	Salinity Rating	Sodicity	Dispersion
Surface (A1 horizon)	slightly acid	very low	non-sodic	none
Upper subsoil (B21 horizon)	moderately acid	low	non-sodic	none
Deeper subsoil (2B3 at 1 m)	slightly alkaline	very low	non-sodic	none
Deep subsoil (at 140 cm)	slightly alkaline	very low	-	-

Management Considerations:

Whole Profile

• Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is considered to be relatively low (estimated at approximately 50 mm) for the top metre of the soil profile. This is based on available laboratory data.
• Soluble salt levels are low throughout the profile.
• The high sand and gravel content in the top metre of the soil profile will ensure that infiltration and movement of water will be relatively high.

Surface (A) Horizons

• The surface soil has a high sand content (77%). Organic matter is important for maintaining aggregation on such soils, as well as for improving soil fertility and water holding capacity.
• The cation exchange capacity of the surface soils is relatively low and nutrients will be more easily leached than in the heavier textured soils.

Subsoil (B) Horizons

• The subsoil is weakly structured and has a high quartz gravel content in the upper part. It should be relatively well drained.

Comments from Landholder:

• Tractors can become bogged when wet.

Profile Described By: Mark Imhof, Paul Rampant, Sonia Thompson (1996).

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