Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-TSR-AGR-SEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

0.2 dS/m

Direction: Lower is desirable ↓

Form: Point

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

Therefore, a benchmark value of 0.2 dS/m is proposed.

Metric Definition:

Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC) measured as Electrical Conductivity of the Saturated Paste Extract (ECe) in dS/m, representing the concentration of soluble salts in the soil solution.

Benchmark Definition:

A benchmark value representing a best-on-offer condition for sustainably managed agricultural soils in Australia's high-rainfall tropical regions.

Justification:

This value reflects a system where fertility is sustained by high organic matter and biological nutrient cycling, rather than high concentrations of soluble salts, thus minimizing environmental leakage in this high-leaching environment.

Sources (3)

Growing avocados | Business Queensland, accessed July 16, 2025, Government

Growing avocados | Business Queensland

View Source

Preview of Soil health for vegetable production in Australia - Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, accessed July 18, 2025,

Soil health for vegetable production in Australia - Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, accessed July 18, 2025, Journal

Understanding soil tests for pastures | Soil | Farm management ..., accessed July 18, 2025,

View Source

Supersites get the measure of ecosystems | TERN Australia, accessed July 16, 2025, Government

Supersites get the measure of ecosystems | TERN Australia

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Rainforests
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 7 Jun 2026

Notes

The benchmark of 0.2 dS/m (ECe) sits within an optimal range of 0.1–0.4 dS/m. The lower critical threshold is <0.1 dS/m, below which nutrient depletion becomes a primary concern. An upper detrimental threshold is identified at >0.6 dS/m, where salinity stress impacts sensitive crops like avocado, based on Queensland Government guidelines. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

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