Soil Moisture — Benchmark Detail

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range

Range: 18 to 20 % VWC

Optimal Range: 18 to 20

Direction: Higher is desirable ↑

Form: OptimalRange

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 OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 1 guard(s) constrain the result.

Contributing Benchmarks

OptimalRange Primary MinimumOnly Guard

Evidence & Context

For Sandy Loam soils: 18-20% Volumetric Water Content

Metric Definition:

Volumetric Water Content at Field Capacity (FC) for Sandy Loam soils

Benchmark Definition:

Field Capacity (FC) is the maximum amount of plant-available water a well-structured soil can hold against gravity without being in a detrimental state of saturation in Sandy Loam soils under agricultural crop production.

Justification:

FC represents the maximum potential resilience and is the outcome of best-practice management in regenerative cropping systems.

Sources (1)

How Soil Holds Water - SDSU Extension Government

How Soil Holds Water - SDSU Extension

View Source

Context

Region Australia
Biome Arid Inland Floodplains & Ephemeral River Systems
Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
Assessment Not Stated
Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

Status Active
Version 1
Effective From 9 Jun 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 5 % VWC. The reference values represent Field Capacity (FC) for different dominant soil textures, which is the most scientifically defensible proxy for the 'best available condition' in this context. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.

Related Benchmarks

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