Soil Potassium

AUS-TDG-CON-SOK General High confidence

Benchmark Value

No specific value — see range
Range: 0.3 to 0.7 meq/100g
Optimal Range: 0.3 to 0.7
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.

Evidence & Context

"Exchangeable potassium should be 0.3 to 0.7 meq/100g and in the range of 3 to 8% of the total cations present."18

Metric Definition:

Exchangeable soil potassium in the top 0–10 cm layer, extracted via 1 M ammonium acetate at neutral pH 7.018.

Benchmark Definition:

Stable, balanced cation exchange complex maintaining soil structure and preventing antagonistic nutritional interactions.

Justification:

The cited source explicitly identifies this exchangeable potassium range as a reference condition for conservation targets in grasslands.

Sources (1)

Preview of Soil health stocktake Queensland - GRDC, accessed May 11, 2025,
Soil health stocktake Queensland - GRDC, accessed May 11, 2025, GreyLiterature

Department of Primary Industries, Victoria. (2020). Understanding soil tests for pastures.

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Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of Faithfull, I. (2012). Chilean needle grass Nassella neesiana (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth in Victoria: ecology, distribution, damage and control. PhD Thesis, Victoria University.
Faithfull, I. (2012). Chilean needle grass Nassella neesiana (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth in Victoria: ecology, distribution, damage and control. PhD Thesis, Victoria University.
Irrelevant

Faithfull, I. (2012). Chilean needle grass Nassella neesiana (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth in Victoria: ecology, distribution, damage and control. PhD Thesis, Victoria University.

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Temperate Dry Woodlands & Native Grasslands
  • Land Use Conservation / Protected Natural Areas
  • Assessment Conservation Target
  • Vegetation Grassland
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 20 Jun 2026

Notes

Source reports exchangeable potassium directly in meq/100g; no unit conversion applied.