Soil Moisture

AUS-TGP-AGR-SMO General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 15 to 40 % VWC

Optimal Range: 15 to 40

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: OptimalRange

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is CompositeFramework, but the benchmark data may be missing required fields (e.g., optimal range bounds for an OptimalRange benchmark). This is typically a data quality issue in the benchmark pipeline.

Contributing Benchmarks

CompositeFramework Primary OptimalRange Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard OptimalRange Guard MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

The most scientifically defensible and ecologically meaningful benchmark for the "best available condition" of soil moisture in agricultural cropping systems is the state of Field Capacity (FC), or its field-measured equivalent, the Drained Upper Limit (DUL).

Metric Definition:

Soil moisture at Field Capacity (FC) or Drained Upper Limit (DUL), representing the maximum amount of water a soil can hold against gravity, available to plants and microbes with sufficient aeration.

Benchmark Definition:

Field Capacity (FC) or Drained Upper Limit (DUL) is the soil moisture state representing optimal water storage and aeration for plant and microbial life in temperate grassy woodlands agricultural cropping systems.

Justification:

Field Capacity is the point at which a soil holds the maximum amount of water that is readily available to plants and soil microbes, while simultaneously containing sufficient air-filled pore space for root and microbial respiration.

Sources (1)

Preview of Altered soil microbial community at elevated CO2 leads to loss of ..., accessed August 9, 2025

Altered soil microbial community at elevated CO2 leads to loss of ..., accessed August 9, 2025 Journal

A functional framework for soil moisture benchmarks in Australian temperate cropping systems based on Field Capacity (FC) and Permanent Wilting Point (PWP)

Supporting Sources (39)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

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5. Field capacity (FC; a), permanent wilting point (PWP; b), and... | Download Scientific Diagram - ResearchGate, accessed July 7, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

AUS-TSW-AGR-SMO-20250707: Soil Moisture Benchmark Research for Nature Index (Expert Synthesis)

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A Health Check for our Agricultural Soils - Enviro Data SA, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

A Health Check for our Agricultural Soils - Enviro Data SA

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A review of soil waterlogging impacts, mechanisms, and adaptive strategies - PMC, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The impact of soil water on soil constraints and crop growth - GRDC, accessed August 4, 2025,

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Accessing disparate soil data - TERN Australia, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

ASRIS Soil Data Web API, accessed March 28, 2026,

Preview of An Updated Australian Soil Classification Map | TERN Australia, accessed on June 5, 2025

An Updated Australian Soil Classification Map | TERN Australia, accessed on June 5, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Accessing disparate soil data | TERN Australia

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Australian Soils and Landscapes | Monitoring & Data | TERN - esoil.io, accessed July 30, 2025,

Methodology Source Government

Australian Soils and Landscapes | Monitoring & Data | TERN - esoil.io

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Can soil organic matter be increased in a continuous cropping system in the low to medium rainfall zone? | Birchip Cropping Group

Contextual Support

(PDF) Soil carbon dynamics under different cropping and pasture management in temperate Australia: Results of three long-term experiments - ResearchGate

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Chameleon soil water sensor - CSIRO, accessed August 4, 2025,

Methodology Source Government

Chameleon soil water sensor - CSIRO, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Chapter 9 AUSTRALIAN GRASSLANDS - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed August 9, 2025

Chapter 9 AUSTRALIAN GRASSLANDS - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed August 9, 2025

Contextual Support Government

Chapter 9 AUSTRALIAN GRASSLANDS - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed August 9, 2025

Preview of Cover Crops for Sustainable Cropping Systems: A Review - MDPI, accessed July 23, 2025,

Cover Crops for Sustainable Cropping Systems: A Review - MDPI, accessed July 23, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

BioCondition: A condition assessment framework for terrestrial biodiversity in Queensland, accessed July 23, 2025,

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Crops that perform well in waterlogged conditions – will that become a reality? - GRDC, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Crops that perform well in waterlogged conditions – will that become a reality? - GRDC, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Estimating Plant Available Water Capacity - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), accessed August 4, 2025,

Estimating Plant Available Water Capacity - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support

Estimating Plant Available Water Capacity - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of the VVP: Landholders Guide - Greening Australia, accessed August 11, 2025,

Grasslands and Grassy Woodlands of the VVP: Landholders Guide - Greening Australia, accessed August 11, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

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Grassy eucalypt woodland of the Victorian volcanic plain - listing advice, accessed August 4, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

Conservation Assessment of White Box – Yellow Box – Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland - Environment and Heritage - NSW Government, accessed August 12, 2025

Preview of Interpretation of Soil Moisture Content to Determine Soil Field Capacity and Avoid Over-Irrigating Sandy Soils Using Soil Moisture Sensors - UF/IFAS EDIS, accessed July 7, 2025,

Interpretation of Soil Moisture Content to Determine Soil Field Capacity and Avoid Over-Irrigating Sandy Soils Using Soil Moisture Sensors - UF/IFAS EDIS, accessed July 7, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

7.10 Soil water storage, capacity, and fluxes - NIWA Client report, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Modern Soil Moisture Monitoring for Drought Resilience, accessed August 4, 2025,

Modern Soil Moisture Monitoring for Drought Resilience, accessed August 4, 2025,

Methodology Source Journal

Modern Soil Moisture Monitoring for Drought Resilience, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of NVIS Fact sheet MVG 19 6 Tussock grasslands, accessed July 16, 2025,

NVIS Fact sheet MVG 19 6 Tussock grasslands, accessed July 16, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Understanding soil pH, accessed August 28, 2025

Preview of Plant Available Water Capacity – crop and varietal differences in soil water extraction, accessed August 4, 2025,

Plant Available Water Capacity – crop and varietal differences in soil water extraction, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Plant Available Water Capacity – crop and varietal differences in soil water extraction, accessed August 4, 2025,

Preview of Plant available water: How do I determine field capacity and permanent wilting point?, accessed July 7, 2025,

Plant available water: How do I determine field capacity and permanent wilting point?, accessed July 7, 2025,

Methodology Source GreyLiterature

A global dataset of remote sensing-based soil critical point and ...

Preview of PO 12. Know the relationship between soil water content, soil water tension and soil pore size and the following soil parameters (and qualitatively understand how these parameters vary for different soil types) and their relationships to plant growth and the fate and transport of nutrients and pesticides. - Northeast Region Certified Crop Adviser (NRCCA) Study Resources, accessed July 7, 2025,

PO 12. Know the relationship between soil water content, soil water tension and soil pore size and the following soil parameters (and qualitatively understand how these parameters vary for different soil types) and their relationships to plant growth and the fate and transport of nutrients and pesticides. - Northeast Region Certified Crop Adviser (NRCCA) Study Resources, accessed July 7, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Wilting Point Of Crops: Temporary & Permanent Limits - EOS Data Analytics

Preview of Procedure for Soil Respiration (CO2 Evolution from Rewetting a Dried Soil) - Soil Fertility, accessed July 9, 2025

Procedure for Soil Respiration (CO2 Evolution from Rewetting a Dried Soil) - Soil Fertility, accessed July 9, 2025

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Tool 6.7 Soil health benchmarks and guidelines for managing ...

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Processes underpinning natural capital account compilation highlight the potential for low-input grazing to mitigate farm carbon emissions while also improving biodiversity outcomes - CSIRO PUBLISHING | The Rangeland Journal, accessed August 12, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Vegetation change in an urban grassy woodland 1974–2000 - CSIRO Publishing

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Processes underpinning natural capital account compilation highlight the potential for low-input grazing to mitigate farm carbon emissions while also improving biodiversity outcomes - CSIRO PUBLISHING | The Rangeland Journal, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Processes underpinning natural capital account compilation highlight the potential for low-input grazing to mitigate farm carbon emissions while also improving biodiversity outcomes - CSIRO PUBLISHING | The Rangeland Journal, accessed August 4, 2025,

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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

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Regenerative agriculture in Australia: the changing face ... - Frontiers, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

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Contextual Support Journal

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Restore the Soil: Prosper the Nation, accessed May 11, 2025

Contextual Support Journal

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Snapshot of Australian Agriculture 2025 - DAFF, accessed July 8, 2025

Contextual Support Government

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Soil | Australia state of the environment 2021, accessed August 3, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

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Contextual Support Government

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Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia - CSIRO, accessed July 30, 2025,

Contextual Support Government

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Soil Quality Indicators - Natural Resources Conservation Service, accessed August 4, 2025,

Contextual Support GreyLiterature

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Contextual Support Government

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ten key steps to conserving Australia's temperate eucalypt woodlands - the UWA Profiles and Research Repository, accessed August 4, 2025

Contextual Support

Sustainable forest management and the ecosystem approach - an Australian perspective

Preview of ten key steps to conserving Australia's temperate eucalypt woodlands - the UWA Profiles and Research Repository, accessed August 4, 2025,

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Contextual Support Government

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Contextual Support Government

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Contextual Support Journal

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Understanding the impacts of farming practices on the soil microbiome as a sustainable approach to crop production. - CSIRO Research, accessed July 9, 2025

Contextual Support Government

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Waterlogging in Australian agricultural landscapes: a review of plant responses and crop models - ResearchGate, accessed July 7, 2025,

Contextual Support Journal

Waterlogging in Australian agricultural landscapes: a review of plant responses and crop models - ResearchGate

Context

Region Australia
Biome Temperate Grassy Woodlands & Plains
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Conservation Target
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 7 Jun 2026

Notes

The reference value represents the typical range of Field Capacity (FC) for the dominant soil textures (Sandy Loam to Clay Loam) in this biome under best-practice agricultural management. FC is the benchmark for the best available condition, signifying optimal water storage and aeration for plant and microbial life.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TGP-AGR-SMO family.