Soil Management

Overall this soil has good water holding capacity and availability, with moderate to good structure. The only limitation is that drainable porosity is less than 10 % throughout the soil profile which indicates that following irrigation and rainfall this soil will be slow to drain resulting in reduced root function due to limited oxygen availability. Soil CEC is low in the topsoil and moderate in the subsoil, which indicates this soil is suited to nutrient application by small frequent amounts of fertigation. Soil carbon levels are lower than expected. Consideration should be given to means to increase the application of organic residues within the tree row, including prunings, grass clippings, living mulches or other organic inputs to increase soil carbon levels over time. This soil doesn't appear to be overly prone to waterlogging. If required, installation of subsurface drains would need to be done with a high degree of caution as subsoil ESP values indicate likelihood of clay dispersion and drain blockage. In relation to irrigation, the refill point for the A1 horizon is between 32% (50 kPa) to 25 % (100 kPa) soil moisture.

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