Soil Structure & Compaction

AUS-ASP-AGR-SSC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

500 kPa

Direction: Higher 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.

Evidence & Context

Lower Critical Threshold: <500 kPa, indicating poor aggregation and high erosion risk.

Metric Definition:

Penetrometer resistance below which soil structure is considered degraded due to instability and erosion risk.

Benchmark Definition:

A penetrometer resistance below 500 kPa indicates structurally unstable soil at high risk of erosion and crusting in arid shrublands under agricultural crop production.

Justification:

Based on ecological risks of poor aggregation and erosion in arid soils, supported by literature on soil structure degradation.

Sources (1)

Preview of GRDC Deep Ripping Fact Sheet (2019)

GRDC Deep Ripping Fact Sheet (2019) Journal

Deep Ripping - GRDC

View Source

Supporting Sources (29)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

(PDF) Soil compaction and controlled traffic considerations in ..., accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support

Ripping Mallee soils, what are the production benefits? - Agronomy Australia Proceedings

View Source

$3.5M national project to examine ways to boost soil organic matter - CSIRO

Contextual Support Government

$3.5M national project to examine ways to boost soil organic matter - CSIRO

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6. LAND CAPABILITY CLASSES ON THE FORTH MAP, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support

6. LAND CAPABILITY CLASSES ON THE FORTH MAP

View Source

Preview of High clay contents, dense soils, and spatial variability are the principal subsoil constraints to cropping the higher rainfall land in south-eastern Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 7, 2025

High clay contents, dense soils, and spatial variability are the principal subsoil constraints to cropping the higher rainfall land in south-eastern Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 7, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

High clay contents, dense soils, and spatial variability are the principal subsoil constraints to cropping the higher rainfall land in south-eastern Australia - CSIRO Publishing

View Source

Is soil compaction reducing wheat yields in the Victorian Mallee? | Birchip Cropping Group, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Is soil compaction reducing wheat yields in the Victorian Mallee? | Birchip Cropping Group

View Source

Preview of Long-term no tillage alleviates subsoil compaction and drought-induced mechanical impedance** - International Agrophysics, accessed August 28, 2025

Long-term no tillage alleviates subsoil compaction and drought-induced mechanical impedance** - International Agrophysics, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Long-term no tillage alleviates subsoil compaction and drought-induced mechanical impedance** - International Agrophysics

View Source

Long-term no-till trial delivers data legacy | GroundCover - GRDC Ground Cover, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Long-term no-till trial delivers data legacy | GroundCover - GRDC Ground Cover

View Source

Meningie East – Field Healthy Soils Update Thursday 4th of March including lunch, accessed July 7, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Promoting soil health in dryland agriculture by increasing cropping intensity - Agronomy Australia Proceedings

View Source

National Guidance on Acid Sulfate Soils - Water Quality Australia

Contextual Support Journal

Managing soils - Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, accessed July 17, 2025

View Source

Preview of Regenerative Agriculture - a literature review on the practices and mechanisms used to improve soil health - DPIRD's Digital library, accessed August 5, 2025,

Regenerative Agriculture - a literature review on the practices and mechanisms used to improve soil health - DPIRD's Digital library, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support

Regenerative Agriculture Program restoring soil pH case study: Macdonald, Whites Flat/Koppio

View Source

Regenerative Agriculture - Nuffield Farming Scholarships, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture - Nuffield Farming Scholarships

View Source

Preview of Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed July 20, 2025,

View Source

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

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Regenerative opportunities for building soil biological resilience – a case study in the low-rainfall zone in Southern Australia - GRDC

View Source

Preview of Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Human Health: The Interconnection Between Soil, Food Quality, and Nutrition - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed August 28, 2025

Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Human Health: The Interconnection Between Soil, Food Quality, and Nutrition - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support

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

View Source

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

Contextual Support Journal

Technical Note No.3 - Effects of Residue Management and No-Till on Soil Quality - Natural Resources Conservation Service

View Source

Report card on sustainable natural resource use in agriculture, accessed July 6, 2025,

Contextual Support

Managing soils | Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development - dpird

View Source

Resistance and resilience of the forest soil microbiome to logging-associated compaction, accessed August 2, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

A Review of the Effects of Soil Compaction and Amelioration Treatments on Landscape Trees | Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, accessed July 22, 2025

View Source

Seedbed Soil Structure Decline | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Seedbed Soil Structure Decline | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au

View Source

Preview of Soil bulk density and penetration resistance under different tillage and crop management systems, and their relationship with barley root growth, accessed August 28, 2025

Soil bulk density and penetration resistance under different tillage and crop management systems, and their relationship with barley root growth, accessed August 28, 2025

Methodology Source GreyLiterature

Soil bulk density and penetration resistance under different tillage and crop management systems, and their relationship with barley root growth

View Source

Soil Compaction Explained - Soil Quality Knowledge Base, accessed August 2, 2025,

Contextual Support

high soil strength - fact sheet - GRDC

View Source

Soil health - Penetrometer - Department for Environment and Water, accessed August 2, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Soil health - Department for Environment and Water

View Source

Soil Penetration Resistance as a Soil Health Indicator - SDSU Extension - South Dakota State University, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

Soil compaction and strength; measurement methods and influences on perennial grass growth.

View Source

Soil Stability Explained - Soil Quality Knowledge Base, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Stability Explained - Soil Quality Knowledge Base

View Source

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

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Structure Decline - Tas | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au

View Source

Strategic tillage of a long-term, no-till soil has little impact on soil characteristics or crop growth over five years

Contextual Support Journal

What is Regenerative Agriculture? - Soils For Life, accessed August 13, 2025

View Source

The effects of compaction and soil drying on penetrometer ..., accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

The effects of compaction and soil drying on penetrometer ...

View Source

The effects of compaction and soil drying on penetrometer resistance - ResearchGate, accessed August 2, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

soils - of the australian alps

View Source

The grazier's guide to pastures - NSW Department of Primary Industries, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

The grazier's guide to pastures - NSW Department of Primary Industries

View Source

What is Erosion? Effects of Soil Erosion and Land Degradation - World Wildlife Fund, accessed August 28, 2025

Contextual Support Government

What is Erosion? Effects of Soil Erosion and Land Degradation - World Wildlife Fund

View Source

Context

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

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 2
Effective From 6 Jun 2026

Notes

Indicates a degraded soil state with high risk of wind and water erosion and surface crusting.

Related Benchmarks

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