Soil Water Infiltration Rate
Benchmark Value
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 11 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 10 guard(s) constrain the result.
Evidence & Context
Based on available data and an understanding of soil processes under regenerative management, a Reference Value range of 50 - 70 mm/hr is proposed for SWIR, with the potential for rates to be even higher (e.g., >100 mm/hr) under optimal soil conditions and management within this land use and biome.
Soil Water Infiltration Rate (SWIR) is the soil's capacity to absorb and transmit water from the surface through the soil profile.
This benchmark defines the typical soil water infiltration rate range of 50 to 70 mm/hr achievable under regenerative agricultural management in temperate dry woodlands and native grasslands of Australia, indicating good soil hydrological function.
This proposed range is primarily derived from field observations of well-structured soils under agricultural management in relevant Australian temperate regions, often within the wheatbelt, which serve as a robust proxy for the 'best available condition' achievable through sustained best-practice sustainable or regenerative agriculture.
Sources (3)
Effects of crop and pasture rotations and surface cover on rainfall infiltration on a Kandosol in south-west Queensland - ResearchGate
View SourceHealthy soils and water infiltration in the paddock - Local Land Services - NSW Government
View Source
Comparing infiltration rates in soils managed with conventional and alternative farming methods: A meta-analysis
View SourceSupporting Sources (2)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Farming for the future: optimising soil health for a sustainable future in Australian broadacre cropping - Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)
View SourceSoil Structural Decline - Can the Trend be Reversed? - Agronomy Australia Proceedings
View Source