Litter Cover
Benchmark Value
Scoring Curve
This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context. The scoring engine uses 14 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 13 guard(s) constrain the result.
Evidence & Context
The most scientifically defensible benchmark for the best available condition is 70% ground cover, which corresponds to a stubble mass of 2 to 3 t/ha for cereals.
Litter Cover as percentage of ground cover representing best available condition
Optimal litter cover for sustainable cropping balancing ecological functions and agronomic viability in arid agricultural cropping areas.
Identified by the GRDC as enough for erosion control and water infiltration, providing a robust safety margin above the minimum critical threshold and below the detrimental threshold.
Sources (1)
Grazing-management-for-soil-carbon-in-Australia-A-review.pdf - University of Tasmania, accessed April 29, 2025,
View SourceSupporting Sources (2)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Stubble Management Guidelines - Upper North Farming Systems
View SourceMacroecology of Australian Tall Eucalypt Forests: Baseline Data from a Continental-Scale Permanent Plot Network - PMC, accessed March 27, 2026,
View Source