Kandosol AU

A representative soil profile of a Mesotrophic Red Kandosol in a mapunit of brown or red loams grading to clay. These soils are deep loamy duplexes and earths from the West Midlands of Australia. (Base photo provided by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Agriculture and Food, Government of Western Australia.)

 

Topsoil

Red or brown hard-setting loam.

Acid to neutral through to alkaline pH

Subsoil

Neutral to alkaline pH

Loams grading to clays

Calcareous nodules or Ironstone gravels may be present

 

For more information about these soils including common management constraints, visit:

www.agric.wa.gov.au/mycrop/mysoil-deep-sandy-duplexes-wes...

 

For more information about the soils of Western Australia, visit;

www.agric.wa.gov.au/climate-land-water/soils

 

In the Australian soil classification system, the soils in this unit are:

Mesotrophic Red Kandosols, Mesotrophic Red Dermosols, Red or Yellow or Brown Chromosols, Red or Yellow or Brown Sodosols, and Red or Brown Kandosols.

 

Kandosols are non texture contrast soils (with little or gradual increase in clay content with depth) that have massive (i.e. weakly to non structured) subsoils (B horizons). They are found mainly in the upland areas, often in association with Dermosols, Chromosols and Kurosols. These soils can vary from stony soils to deeper friable soils. Some may almost be texture contrast and have a bleached subsurface (A2) horizon. Using the Australian Soil Classification, Kandosols can be grouped further (into Suborders) based on the color of the upper 20 cm of the subsoil (i.e. Red, Brown, Yellow, Grey and Black). These can be further differentiated based on subsoil characteristics such as nutrient level capacities and ratios and the presence of carbonate or lime.

 

Chromosols are soils that display a strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B) horizons. The upper part of the subsoil ranges from slightly acid to alkaline (pH >5.5) but is not sodic. Using the Australian Soil Classification, Chromosols can be grouped further (in to Suborders) based on the color of the upper 20 cm of the subsoil (i.e. Red, Brown, Yellow, Grey and Black). These can be further differentiated based on subsoil characteristics (in to Great Groups) such as the nutrient level capacities and ratios and the presence of carbonate or lime.

 

Dermosols are non texture contrast soils that have structured subsoils (B horizons). They are found mainly in the upland areas, often in association with Kandosols which have massive B horizons. These soils can vary from stony soils to friable deeper profiles. Some may almost have some texture contrast and a bleached subsurface (A2) horizon. Using the Australian Soil Classification, Dermosols can be grouped further (into Suborders) based on the color of the upper 20 cm of the subsoil (i.e. Red, Brown, Yellow, Grey and Black). These can be further differentiated (into Great Groups) based on subsoil characteristics such as the nutrient level capacities and ratios and the presence of carbonate or lime.

 

Sodosols are soils which display a strong texture contrast between surface (A) horizons and subsoil (B) horizons which are sodic. Using the Australian Soil Classification, Sodosols can be grouped further based on the color of the upper 20 cm of the subsoil (ie. Red, Brown, Yellow and Grey). These can then be further differentiated based on subsoil characteristics such as level of sodicity and presence of carbonate (lime).

 

For more information about the Australian Soil Classification System, visit;

www.clw.csiro.au/aclep/asc_re_on_line_V2/soilhome.htm

 

In Soil Taxonomy, these soils are primarily Alfisols and Ultisols or some are Aridisols. For more information about Soil Taxonomy, visit:

sites.google.com/site/dinpuithai/Home

 

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