Soil Water Infiltration Rate

AUS-TMI-AGR-SWI General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

50 mm/hr

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: MinimumOnly

Scoring Curve

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

Evidence & Context

Based on the synthesis of evidence, a general benchmark representing a high level of ecological function and soil health under best-practice regenerative agricultural management is a steady-state infiltration rate of ²65 50 mm/hr.

Metric Definition:

Steady-state soil water infiltration rate representing high ecological function and soil health under best-practice regenerative agricultural management.

Benchmark Definition:

This benchmark represents the steady-state infiltration rate indicating a well-structured, biologically active soil supporting healthy plant growth in tropical maritime island agricultural crop production under best-practice regenerative management.

Justification:

The value is derived by triangulating evidence from high-functioning Australian agricultural systems and international standards for healthy tropical agriculture, representing a high-functioning, healthy agricultural soil.

Sources (3)

Impacts of Different Tillage Practices on Soil Water Infiltration for Sustainable Agriculture - ResearchGate Journal

Impacts of Different Tillage Practices on Soil Water Infiltration for Sustainable Agriculture - ResearchGate

View Source

Preview of Soil Health: Supporting Rural Industries in the Wet Tropics, accessed July 25, 2025,

Soil Health: Supporting Rural Industries in the Wet Tropics, accessed July 25, 2025, GreyLiterature

Healthy soils and water infiltration in the paddock - Local Land Services - NSW Government

View Source

Preview of TROPICAL SOILS | Terrain NRM, accessed July 16, 2025,

TROPICAL SOILS | Terrain NRM, accessed July 16, 2025, Journal

A Revegetation Guide for Sub-Tropical Forest - Greening Australia, accessed July 20, 2025,

View Source

Supporting Sources (3)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Soil Carbon Sequestration Potential: A review for Australian agriculture - MLA, accessed August 5, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Coexistence of shrubs and grass in a semi-arid landscape: a case study of mulga (Acacia aneura, Mimosaceae) shrublands embedded in fire-prone spinifex (Triodia pungens, Poaceae) hummock grasslands - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Australian Journal of Botany

View Source

Standard range of water infiltration rate for plantation or agricultural purpose - ResearchGate

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Standard range of water infiltration rate for plantation or agricultural purpose - ResearchGate

View Source

Preview of The relationships between land management practices and soil condition and the quality of ecosystem services delivered from agri - DAFF, accessed July 22, 2025,

The relationships between land management practices and soil condition and the quality of ecosystem services delivered from agri - DAFF, accessed July 22, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

View of Efficacy of the Ecosystem Services Approach in Transitioning to Regenerative Agriculture in Australia | Reinvention, accessed July 27, 2025,

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Tropical & Subtropical Maritime Islands
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Conservation Target
Evidence Type TargetCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 7 Jun 2026

Notes

No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. This benchmark represents the steady-state infiltration rate for a high-functioning agricultural soil under best-practice regenerative management. Confidence is 'Moderate' as the value is based on strong, convergent evidence from relevant analogues rather than direct measurement at a target site. An upper boundary is not considered detrimental to soil health but indicates a management risk for nutrient leaching.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TMI-AGR-SWI family.