Soil Nitrogen

AUS-ASP-AGR-SON General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 1500 to 3000 mg/kg

Optimal Range: 1500 to 3000

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

A conservative, inferred benchmark for loams and clays under high-health regenerative management would logically fall in the upper end of, and likely exceed, the range observed for sands, plausibly in the order of 1500 – 3000 mg/kg.

Metric Definition:

Inferred total soil nitrogen benchmark range for loam and clay soils under best-practice regenerative agricultural management.

Benchmark Definition:

Inferred total soil nitrogen benchmark range for finer textured soils based on mineralizable nitrogen supply requirements.

Justification:

Inferred from functional data on mineralizable nitrogen supply and biogeochemical principles due to lack of direct field measurements.

Sources (1)

Preview of Soil Nitrogen Supply | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 25, 2025,

Soil Nitrogen Supply | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed July 25, 2025, Government

Soil Nitrogen Supply | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed May 11, 2025,

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Supporting Sources (2)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of A review of sampling designs for the measurement of soil organic carbon in Australian grazing lands - Integrity Systems, accessed July 27, 2025,

A review of sampling designs for the measurement of soil organic carbon in Australian grazing lands - Integrity Systems, accessed July 27, 2025,

Direct Evidence Government

Total nitrogen levels as a key constraint on soil organic carbon ...

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

Direct Evidence GreyLiterature

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

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Context

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

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 24 Mar 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. Represents an expert-inferred value highlighting a key area for future research.

Related Benchmarks

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