Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-AKW-AGR-SEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

0.38 dS/m
Direction: Lower is desirable ↓
Form: MaximumOnly

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 17 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 16 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MinimumOnly Guard UpperThreshold Guard MaximumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard Point Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard Point Guard OptimalRange Guard MaximumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard

Evidence & Context

Electrical conductivity remained low (<0.38 dS m-1) at Waikerie

Metric Definition:

Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC) measured as the saturated paste extract (ECe​) in the topsoil (0-0.1 m)

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the maximum soil electrical conductivity in the topsoil of a healthy, non-saline agricultural cropping system in the Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands biome, indicating sustainable soil conditions under best-practice management.

Justification:

Derived from a long-term, best-practice dryland farming systems trial on Calcarosols in a low-rainfall environment, representing the best available proxy for the target land use.

Sources (1)

Preview of Continuous cropping of a Calcarosol in a low-rainfall environment: effects of rotations and nitrogen fertiliser
Continuous cropping of a Calcarosol in a low-rainfall environment: effects of rotations and nitrogen fertiliser

Continuous cropping of a Calcarosol in a low-rainfall environment: effects of rotations and nitrogen fertiliser

View Source

Supporting Sources (22)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Soil processes affecting crop production in salt-affected soils - ResearchGate
(PDF) Soil processes affecting crop production in salt-affected soils - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

Salinity in Dryland Agricultural Systems: Challenges and Opportunities - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Across The Nullarbor…….Western Australia at last! - Bob's Big Idea - WordPress.com, accessed July 23, 2025
Across The Nullarbor…….Western Australia at last! - Bob's Big Idea - WordPress.com, accessed July 23, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Across The Nullarbor…….Western Australia at last! - Bob's Big Idea - WordPress.com

View Source
Preview of Approved Conservation Advice (including listing advice) for the Eucalypt Woodlands of the Western Australian Wheatbelt, accessed July 23, 2025
Approved Conservation Advice (including listing advice) for the Eucalypt Woodlands of the Western Australian Wheatbelt, accessed July 23, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summary 2022 - Department of Primary Industries and Regions

View Source
Preview of Cutting hay at Nullarbor cattle station | Farm Weekly - video Dailymotion
Cutting hay at Nullarbor cattle station | Farm Weekly - video Dailymotion
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Eyre Peninsula farming systems summaries - Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia - PIRSA

View Source
Preview of Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summary 2023 - Department of Primary Industries and Regions
Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summary 2023 - Department of Primary Industries and Regions
Contextual Support Journal

Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summary 2023 - Department of Primary Industries and Regions

View Source
Preview of Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summary 2024 - PIRSA
Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summary 2024 - PIRSA
Contextual Support Journal

Eyre Peninsula Farming Systems Summary 2024 - PIRSA

View Source
Preview of Eyre Peninsula Regional Drought Resilience Plan
Eyre Peninsula Regional Drought Resilience Plan
Contextual Support

Eyre Peninsula Regional Drought Resilience Plan

View Source
Preview of Full article: Estimating the electrical conductivity of a saturated soil paste extract (ECe) from 1:1(EC1:1), 1:2(EC1:2) and 1:5(EC1:5) soil:water suspension ratios, in calcareous soils from the Mediterranean Islands of Malta - Taylor & Francis Online
Full article: Estimating the electrical conductivity of a saturated soil paste extract (ECe) from 1:1(EC1:1), 1:2(EC1:2) and 1:5(EC1:5) soil:water suspension ratios, in calcareous soils from the Mediterranean Islands of Malta - Taylor & Francis Online
Methodology Source GreyLiterature

Full article: Estimating the electrical conductivity of a saturated soil paste extract (ECe) from 1:1(EC1:1), 1:2(EC1:2) and 1:5(EC1:5) soil:water suspension ratios, in calcareous soils from the Mediterranean Islands of Malta - Taylor & Francis Online

View Source
Preview of Karst | Geoscience Australia
Karst | Geoscience Australia
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Karst | Geoscience Australia

View Source
Preview of Karst wetlands - WetlandInfo, accessed July 26, 2025,
Karst wetlands - WetlandInfo, accessed July 26, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Karst wetlands - WetlandInfo, accessed July 25, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Nullarbor bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 27, 2025
Nullarbor bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 27, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Nullarbor bioregion - DCCEEW, accessed July 24, 2025

View Source
Preview of Nullarbor Karst - The Western Australian Speleological Group, accessed July 26, 2025,
Nullarbor Karst - The Western Australian Speleological Group, accessed July 26, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Nullarbor Plain - A biography of the Australian continent

View Source
Preview of Nullarbor Plain - Wikipedia, accessed July 25, 2025,
Nullarbor Plain - Wikipedia, accessed July 25, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Nullarbor Plain - Wikipedia, accessed July 24, 2025

View Source
Preview of Regenerative Agriculture - SOUTHERN SOILS
Regenerative Agriculture - SOUTHERN SOILS
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Regenerative Agriculture - SOUTHERN SOILS

View Source
Preview of Research on Soil Management and Conservation - MDPI
Research on Soil Management and Conservation - MDPI
Contextual Support Journal

Research on Soil Management and Conservation - MDPI

View Source
Preview of Salinity tolerance in wheat: rethinking the targets | Journal of Experimental Botany
Salinity tolerance in wheat: rethinking the targets | Journal of Experimental Botany
Contextual Support

Salinity tolerance in wheat: rethinking the targets | Journal of Experimental Botany

View Source
Preview of Soil - RegenWA
Soil - RegenWA
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil - RegenWA

View Source
Preview of Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,
Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Coexistence of shrubs and grass in a semi-arid landscape: a case study of mulga (Acacia aneura, Mimosaceae) shrublands embedded in fire-prone spinifex (Triodia pungens, Poaceae) hummock grasslands - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany

View Source
Preview of Soil Constraints in an Arid Environment—Challenges, Prospects, and Implications - MDPI, accessed July 6, 2025,
Soil Constraints in an Arid Environment—Challenges, Prospects, and Implications - MDPI, accessed July 6, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Constraints in an Arid Environment—Challenges, Prospects, and Implications - MDPI

View Source
Preview of Soil Electrical Conductivity - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed May 16, 2025,
Soil Electrical Conductivity - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed May 16, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

USDA 12

View Source
Preview of The impact, identification and management of dispersive soils in rainfed cropping systems - UQ eSpace - The University of Queensland, accessed July 6, 2025,
The impact, identification and management of dispersive soils in rainfed cropping systems - UQ eSpace - The University of Queensland, accessed July 6, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Cover cropping impacts on soil water and carbon in dryland ...

View Source
Preview of What are some possible explanations for the lack of vegetation on the Nullarbor Plain of Western Australia? - Quora, accessed July 27, 2025
What are some possible explanations for the lack of vegetation on the Nullarbor Plain of Western Australia? - Quora, accessed July 27, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

What are some possible explanations for the lack of vegetation on the Nullarbor Plain of Western Australia? - Quora

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Karstic Woodlands & Shrublands
  • Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Superseded
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 4 Jun 2026
  • Effective To 4 Jun 2026

Notes

This value is a conservative upper limit indicating a non-saline, healthy soil state under sustainable agricultural management. The benchmark is based on proxy data due to the absence of cropping systems in the core biome. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-AKW-AGR-SEC family.

4 dS/m Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Not Stated
MaximumOnly Active v3
— dS/m Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Not Stated
OptimalRange Active v1
2 dS/m Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Not Stated
MaximumOnly Superseded v2