Soil Potassium

AUS-AMR-FOR-SOK General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

50 mg/kg
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. The scoring engine uses 6 benchmarks together — the OptimalRange form drives the primary score, while 5 guard(s) constrain the result.

Evidence & Context

Synthesizing data from studies on wheat, pasture, and forestry, a soil level of < 50 mg/kg (Colwell K) represents a clear point of deficiency.

Metric Definition:

Available soil potassium (Colwell K) concentration in topsoil

Benchmark Definition:

A soil potassium level below 50 mg/kg is critically deficient, compromising forest health, productivity, and drought resilience in arid mountain production forestry.

Justification:

Multiple agricultural and ecological studies in Australia agree on this threshold as a critical deficiency point.

Sources (1)

Preview of Long-term rundown of plant-available potassium in Western Australia requires a re-evaluation of potassium management for grain production: a review - BioOne Complete, accessed July 10, 2025
Long-term rundown of plant-available potassium in Western Australia requires a re-evaluation of potassium management for grain production: a review - BioOne Complete, accessed July 10, 2025 Journal

Long-term rundown of plant-available potassium in Western Australia requires a re-evaluation of potassium management for grain production: a review - BioOne Complete

View Source

Supporting Sources (3)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient‐depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - Arid Ecology Lab, accessed August 3, 2025
Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient‐depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - Arid Ecology Lab, accessed August 3, 2025
Direct Evidence Government

Soil Inorganic Carbon, the Other and Equally Important Soil Carbon Pool: Distribution, Controlling Factors, and the Impact of C

View Source
Preview of Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 12, 2025,
Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic, accessed July 12, 2025,
Direct Evidence Journal

Little left to lose: deforestation and forest degradation in Australia since European colonization | Journal of Plant Ecology | Oxford Academic

View Source
Preview of Understanding soil tests for pastures | Soil | Farm management ..., accessed May 12, 2025
Understanding soil tests for pastures | Soil | Farm management ..., accessed May 12, 2025
Direct Evidence Government

Agriculture Victoria. (2025). Understanding soil tests for pastures. Farm Management.

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Arid Mountain Ranges & Uplands
  • Land Use Production Forestry
  • Assessment Not Stated
  • Evidence Type DegradationThreshold

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 10 Jun 2026

Notes

This threshold marks a hard lower boundary for healthy soil potassium levels in production forestry in arid biomes. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. AssessmentContext defaulted to 'Not Stated' because the source document did not state one.