Soil Phosphorus

AUS-ASP-AGR-SOP General High confidence

Benchmark Value

15 mg/kg
Thresholds: Lower: 15, Upper: —
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: LowerThreshold

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 2 benchmarks together — the LowerThreshold form drives the primary score, while 1 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

LowerThreshold Primary UpperThreshold Guard

Evidence & Context

Lower Critical Threshold (mg/kg): Low PBI soils < 15 mg/kg, Medium PBI soils < 25 mg/kg, High PBI soils < 30 mg/kg indicate agronomic unsustainability and soil nutrient mining.

Metric Definition:

Lower critical threshold of Colwell-P concentration in soil at 0-10 cm depth below which agronomic unsustainability and soil nutrient mining occur.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark defines the lower critical threshold of soil phosphorus below which cropping becomes unsustainable in low PBI soils in the Arid Shrublands & Stony Plains biome.

Justification:

Values below this threshold indicate nutrient depletion and unsustainable cropping conditions.

Sources (1)

Preview of Phosphorus management for sustainable and productive cropping systems in low rainfall zones of southern Australia
Phosphorus management for sustainable and productive cropping systems in low rainfall zones of southern Australia Journal

Phosphorus management for sustainable and productive cropping systems in low rainfall zones of southern Australia

View Source

Supporting Sources (22)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Agriculture Victoria. (2024). Soil acidity.
Agriculture Victoria. (2024). Soil acidity.
Contextual Support

Soil acidity | Soil | Farm management - Agriculture Victoria, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Balancing risk and reward with high phosphorus and nitrogen input costs
Balancing risk and reward with high phosphorus and nitrogen input costs
Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative agriculture—agroecology without politics? - Frontiers, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Budgeting phosphorus in medium and lower rainfall zones ... - GRDC, accessed August 28, 2025
Budgeting phosphorus in medium and lower rainfall zones ... - GRDC, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Budgeting phosphorus in medium and lower rainfall zones ... - GRDC, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Crop Nutrition Phosphorus Management Fact Sheet - GRDC, accessed August 28, 2025
Crop Nutrition Phosphorus Management Fact Sheet - GRDC, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Crop Nutrition Phosphorus Management Fact Sheet - GRDC, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of NVIS Fact sheet MVG 14 – Mallee woodlands and shrublands - DCCEEW, accessed August 28, 2025
NVIS Fact sheet MVG 14 – Mallee woodlands and shrublands - DCCEEW, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

MVG 22 - DCCEEW, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of NVIS Fact sheet MVG 14 – Mallee woodlands and shrublands - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025
NVIS Fact sheet MVG 14 – Mallee woodlands and shrublands - DCCEEW, accessed July 15, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

NVIS Fact sheet MVG 19 – Tussock grasslands, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Phosphorus - Qld | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed August 28, 2025
Phosphorus - Qld | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Phosphorus - WA | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au, accessed August 1, 2025

View Source
Preview of Phosphorus - Soil Quality Knowledge Base, accessed August 28, 2025
Phosphorus - Soil Quality Knowledge Base, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Phosphorus - Soil Quality Knowledge Base, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Phosphorus and phosphorus stratification - Charles Sturt University Research Output, accessed August 28, 2025
Phosphorus and phosphorus stratification - Charles Sturt University Research Output, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Phosphorus and phosphorus stratification - Charles Sturt University Research Output, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Phosphorus Availability - GRDC, accessed August 28, 2025
Phosphorus Availability - GRDC, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Does applying phosphorus (P) both deep and shallow produce better crops than shallow P alone in southern NSW? - GRDC, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Phosphorus Nutrition of Proteaceae in Severely Phosphorus-Impoverished Soils: Are There Lessons To Be Learned for Future Crops? - PubMed Central, accessed August 28, 2025
Phosphorus Nutrition of Proteaceae in Severely Phosphorus-Impoverished Soils: Are There Lessons To Be Learned for Future Crops? - PubMed Central, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

IGC Proceedings (1985-2023): Forms of Soil Phosphorus Accumulation in Grassland Soils - UKnowledge, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Phosphorus requirements of tropical grazing systems: The northern Australian experience | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Phosphorus requirements of tropical grazing systems: The northern Australian experience | Request PDF - ResearchGate
Contextual Support Journal

Soil phosphorus–crop response calibration relationships and criteria ..., accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Phosphorus status and saturation in soils that drain into the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary of Western Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025
Phosphorus status and saturation in soils that drain into the Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary of Western Australia - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Phosphorus status and saturation in soils that ... - CSIRO Publishing, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Phosphorus uptake and toxicity are delimited by mycorrhizal symbiosis in P-sensitive Eucalyptus marginata but not in P-tolerant Acacia celastrifolia - PubMed Central, accessed August 28, 2025
Phosphorus uptake and toxicity are delimited by mycorrhizal symbiosis in P-sensitive Eucalyptus marginata but not in P-tolerant Acacia celastrifolia - PubMed Central, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Alleviate Low Phosphorus Stress in Maize Genotypes with Contrasting Root Systems - MDPI, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of PHOSPHORUS, AGRICULTURE & THE ENVIRONMENT - NRCS Field Office Technical Guide, accessed August 28, 2025
PHOSPHORUS, AGRICULTURE & THE ENVIRONMENT - NRCS Field Office Technical Guide, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The Truth About Phosphates and Mycorrhizal Fungi - LebanonTurf, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Phosphorus: a finite resource essential for life, critical for agriculture and food security - CSIRO, accessed August 11, 2025
Phosphorus: a finite resource essential for life, critical for agriculture and food security - CSIRO, accessed August 11, 2025
Contextual Support Government

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Retranslocation of Leaves and Stemwood in a Mature Eucalyptus Forest Exposed to 5 Years of Elevated CO2 - Frontiers, accessed July 19, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Regenerative agriculture - Wikipedia, accessed August 8, 2025
Regenerative agriculture - Wikipedia, accessed August 8, 2025
Contextual Support

Regenerative agriculture - Wikipedia, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Regenerative opportunities for building soil biological resilience – a ..., accessed May 11, 2025
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 Phosphorus Management - Agresol - Regenerative ..., accessed August 4, 2025
Regenerative Phosphorus Management - Agresol - Regenerative ..., accessed August 4, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Regenerative Phosphorus Management - Agresol - Regenerative Agriculture Consulting Australia, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of Soil phosphorus-crop response calibration relationships and criteria for winter cereal crops grown in Australia
Soil phosphorus-crop response calibration relationships and criteria for winter cereal crops grown in Australia
Contextual Support

RCS Regenerative Grazing Principles - Resource Consulting Services

View Source
Preview of Soil-landscapes of Western Australia's rangelands and arid interior - SciSpace, accessed August 28, 2025,
Soil-landscapes of Western Australia's rangelands and arid interior - SciSpace, accessed August 28, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

soils and landscapes of mulga lands with special reference to south western queensland, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source
Preview of What is regenerative agriculture, and why does it matter? - The Australian Greens, accessed August 28, 2025
What is regenerative agriculture, and why does it matter? - The Australian Greens, accessed August 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

What is regenerative agriculture, and why does it matter? - The Australian Greens, accessed August 28, 2025

View Source

Context

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

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 25 Mar 2026

Notes

Represents the floor of sustainability for soil phosphorus in different PBI classes.

Related Benchmarks

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

— mg/kg High
Agricultural Crop Production · Pristine Reference
OptimalRange Active v1
25 mg/kg High
Agricultural Crop Production · Pristine Reference
UpperThreshold Active v1