Soil Moisture — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 14 to 23 %

Thresholds: Lower: 12, Upper: 40

Optimal Range: 14 to 23

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: OptimalRange

Scoring Curve

This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.

Evidence & Context

Sandy Loam / Loam: Lower Critical Threshold ~12%, Optimal Range 14 - 23%, Upper Detrimental Threshold 20 - 40%.

Metric Definition:

Soil moisture ranges for Sandy Loam / Loam soil texture class.

Benchmark Definition:

Functional soil moisture range for Sandy Loam / Loam soils in arid shrublands under agricultural crop production.

Justification:

Ranges reflect the optimal functional range and critical thresholds for this soil texture.

Sources (1)

Preview of Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress - PMC, accessed July 19, 2025,

Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress - PMC, accessed July 19, 2025, Journal

Modern Soil Moisture Monitoring for Drought Resilience, accessed May 11, 2025,

View Source

Supporting Sources (35)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

(PDF) Agricultural production system in arid and semi-arid regions - ResearchGate

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

(PDF) Agricultural production system in arid and semi-arid regions - ResearchGate

View Source

A Health Check for our Agricultural Soils - Enviro Data SA, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Managing soils during and after drought in cropping systems - Fact sheet - Soil CRC

View Source

Chapter 8 - ET c under soil water stress conditions

Irrelevant

Chapter 8 - ET c under soil water stress conditions

View Source

Critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress in terrestrial ecosystems - PMC

Methodology Source Government

Critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress in terrestrial ecosystems - PMC

View Source

Drought-resistant soils - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Contextual Support Government

Drought-resistant soils - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

View Source

Exploring the Critical Role of Water in Regenerative Agriculture; Building Promises and Avoiding Pitfalls - Frontiers

Contextual Support Journal

Exploring the Critical Role of Water in Regenerative Agriculture; Building Promises and Avoiding Pitfalls - Frontiers

View Source

FACTS soil moisture benchmarking tool - Integrated Crop Management

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

FACTS soil moisture benchmarking tool - Integrated Crop Management

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Farming systems - CSIRO

Contextual Support Journal

Farming systems - CSIRO

View Source

Find out the Different Types of Soil in Australia - Kelly Tillage AUS, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

ASC - TENOSOLS - Soil Science Australia

View Source

Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress - ResearchGate, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress - ResearchGate

View Source

Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms | FutureBeef

Contextual Support Journal

Healthy Soils for Sustainable Farms | FutureBeef, accessed August 4, 2025,

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Improving soil moisture - NSW Department of Primary Industries

Contextual Support Journal

Improving soil moisture - NSW Department of Primary Industries

View Source

Living soils in agriculture | TERN Australia

Contextual Support Government

Living soils in agriculture | TERN Australia

View Source

Managing soils - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, accessed August 12, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Repairing gully erosion in Western Australia | Department of Primary ...

View Source

MANAGING SOILS DURING AND AFTER DROUGHT IN CROPPING SYSTEMS - Department for Environment and Water

Contextual Support Journal

MANAGING SOILS DURING AND AFTER DROUGHT IN CROPPING SYSTEMS - Department for Environment and Water

View Source

Mapping global critical soil moisture threshold of plant water stress ..., accessed August 9, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Waterlogging : how it reduces plant growth and how plants can overcome its effects

View Source

NATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR RANGELAND MANAGEMENT

Contextual Support Journal

NATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR RANGELAND MANAGEMENT

View Source

NATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR RANGELAND MANAGEMENT, accessed August 2, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

The effects of drought and climate variability on Australian farms - DAFF

View Source

No-Till and Reduced Tillage Farming: Revolutionizing Modern Agriculture Through Sustainable Soil Management

Contextual Support Journal

No-Till and Reduced Tillage Farming: Revolutionizing Modern Agriculture Through Sustainable Soil Management

View Source

Plant available water capacity of dryland cropping soils in the south-eastern Australia, accessed August 6, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Water Holding Characteristics | UC Agriculture and Natural Resources

View Source

Preview of PO 12. Know the relationship between soil water content, soil water tension and soil pore size and the following soil parameters (and qualitatively understand how these parameters vary for different soil types) and their relationships to plant growth and the fate and transport of nutrients and pesticides. - Northeast Region Certified Crop Adviser (NRCCA) Study Resources, accessed July 7, 2025,

PO 12. Know the relationship between soil water content, soil water tension and soil pore size and the following soil parameters (and qualitatively understand how these parameters vary for different soil types) and their relationships to plant growth and the fate and transport of nutrients and pesticides. - Northeast Region Certified Crop Adviser (NRCCA) Study Resources, accessed July 7, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

View Source

Preview of Rain and potential evapotranspiration are the main drivers of yield for wheat and barley in southern Australia: insights from 12 - CSIRO Publishing

Rain and potential evapotranspiration are the main drivers of yield for wheat and barley in southern Australia: insights from 12 - CSIRO Publishing

Contextual Support Journal

Re-evaluating the contribution of summer fallow rain to wheat yield in southern Australia

View Source

Regenerative agriculture - Wikipedia, accessed August 8, 2025

Contextual Support

Regenerative agriculture - Wikipedia, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source

Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face of farming - Frontiers, accessed August 4, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

NCC: Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Health - Wet Tropics Plan, accessed July 27, 2025,

View Source

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI

Contextual Support Government

Forest Thinning for Ecosystem Restoration - Hidden Vale Research Station - The University of Queensland, accessed July 12, 2025,

View Source

Regenerative opportunities for building soil biological resilience – a ..., accessed May 11, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil and fertilizer phosphorus: Effects on plant P supply and mycorrhizal development - Canadian Science Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source

Preview of Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Human Health: The Interconnection Between Soil, Food Quality, and Nutrition - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 7, 2025,

Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Human Health: The Interconnection Between Soil, Food Quality, and Nutrition - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 7, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Cover cropping impacts on soil water and carbon in dryland cropping system - PMC

View Source

Risks to waterlogged crops - Business Queensland, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Risks to waterlogged crops - Business Queensland, accessed May 11, 2025,

View Source

Soil Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed July 18, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Modelling and prediction of soil water contents at field capacity and permanent wilting point of dryland cropping soils - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Soil Research

View Source

Soil Research - CSIRO PUBLISHING, accessed July 7, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Impact of soil conditions on hydrology and water quality for a brown clay in the north-eastern cereal zone of Australia - CSIRO Publishing

View Source

Soil Water - Tas | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Soil Water - Tas | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au

View Source

The impact of soil water on soil constraints and crop growth - GRDC

Contextual Support Journal

The impact of soil water on soil constraints and crop growth - GRDC

View Source

Understanding Soil Water Content and Thresholds for Irrigation Management - OSU Extension

Contextual Support Journal

Understanding Soil Water Content and Thresholds for Irrigation Management - OSU Extension

View Source

Understanding The Impacts Of Waterlogged Soils - AgSolutions

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Understanding The Impacts Of Waterlogged Soils - AgSolutions

View Source

Wheat Crop under Waterlogging: Potential Soil and Plant Effects - MDPI, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Effect of soil moisture at different temperatures on Rhizoctonia root rot of wheat seedlings

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Shrublands & Stony Plains
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Pristine Reference
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 22 Mar 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 12 % VWC. Upper Detrimental Threshold: 40 % VWC. Maintaining moisture within this range supports ecosystem health and avoids stress or waterlogging.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-ASP-AGR-SMO family.