Soil Potassium
Benchmark Value
Scoring Curve
The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is Point, 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.
Evidence & Context
A reference value of 500 mg/kg of available potassium is proposed.
Available soil potassium concentration in topsoil (0-10 cm) measured as exchangeable potassium or equivalent method.
This benchmark represents the concentration of available potassium in soil that supports a healthy, resilient native forest ecosystem under sustainable production forestry in the arid inland floodplains biome.
Derived from Goulburn Broken CMA target of 3-8% of CEC for clay soils, assuming an average CEC of 30 cmol(+)/kg. Lower threshold informed by Eucalyptus research and NSW pasture data.
Sources (3)
NSW Department of Primary Industries guidelines for pasture legumes on clay loam soils
View SourcePotassium limitation of forest productivity – Part 1: A mechanistic model simulating the effects of potassium availability on canopy carbon and water fluxes in tropical eucalypt stands - BG
View SourceUnderstanding Your Soil Test (Goulburn Broken CMA, 2016)
View SourceSupporting Sources (3)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Long-term rundown of plant-available potassium in Western Australia requires a re-evaluation of potassium management for grain production: a review - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 17, 2025
View SourcePotassium | Fact Sheets | soilquality.org.au
View SourcePotassium for crop production | UMN Extension
View Source