Fungal:Bacterial Ratio

AUS-TMI-AGR-SFB General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

1 index
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: Point

Scoring Curve

Scoring curve unavailable

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

Based on this synthesis of evidence, a reference value of approximately 1.0 is a scientifically defensible and conservative benchmark for the F:B ratio in a "best available condition" agricultural system in the target biome.

Metric Definition:

The Fungal-to-Bacterial (F:B) ratio is a critical bioindicator used to assess the structure of the soil microbial community and, by extension, the functional state and health of the soil ecosystem.

Benchmark Definition:

A reference value of approximately 1.0 is a scientifically defensible and conservative benchmark for the F:B ratio in a "best available condition" agricultural system.

Justification:

The value is triangulated from multiple sources indicating that healthy, productive agricultural soils approach a 1:1 ratio and is supported by directional evidence from GCTB sugarcane systems in coastal tropical Queensland.

Sources (1)

Preview of Management impacts on health of soils supporting Australian grain ..., accessed July 28, 2025
Management impacts on health of soils supporting Australian grain ..., accessed July 28, 2025 Journal

Sitemap - Forest & Wood Products Australia, accessed May 16, 2025,

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Supporting Sources (40)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of (PDF) Best management practices for maintaining water quality in sugarcane cultivation, accessed July 28, 2025
(PDF) Best management practices for maintaining water quality in sugarcane cultivation, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

(PDF) Best management practices for maintaining water quality in sugarcane cultivation, accessed July 18, 2025

View Source
Preview of (PDF) Sustainability of Coastal Agriculture under Climate Change - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
(PDF) Sustainability of Coastal Agriculture under Climate Change - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) Sustainability of Coastal Agriculture under Climate Change - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of (PDF) Which soil microbial indicators should be included in routine laboratory tests to support the transition to sustainable management of arable farming systems? A meta-analysis - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
(PDF) Which soil microbial indicators should be included in routine laboratory tests to support the transition to sustainable management of arable farming systems? A meta-analysis - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

(PDF) Sustainability of Coastal Agriculture under Climate Change - ResearchGate

View Source
Preview of Analyzing your Fungal to Bacterial Ratio Results - MicroBiometer, accessed July 18, 2025
Analyzing your Fungal to Bacterial Ratio Results - MicroBiometer, accessed July 18, 2025
Methodology Source GreyLiterature

Analyzing your Fungal to Bacterial Ratio Results - microBIOMETER, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Are Fungal to Bacterial Ratios (F:B Ratio) Important for Plant Growth? - Garden Myths, accessed July 28, 2025
Are Fungal to Bacterial Ratios (F:B Ratio) Important for Plant Growth? - Garden Myths, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of ausveg - fact sheet: soil microbiology, accessed July 18, 2025
ausveg - fact sheet: soil microbiology, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

ausveg - fact sheet: soil microbiology

View Source
Preview of Bacterial community structure and denitrifier (nir-gene) abundance in soil water and groundwater beneath agricultural land in tropical North Queensland, Australia - ResearchOnline@JCU, accessed July 28, 2025
Bacterial community structure and denitrifier (nir-gene) abundance in soil water and groundwater beneath agricultural land in tropical North Queensland, Australia - ResearchOnline@JCU, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Health Program | Boost Sugarcane Productivity

View Source
Preview of Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - ASM Journals, accessed July 28, 2025
Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - ASM Journals, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Beyond Bacteria: The Importance of Fungi, Protozoa and Nematodes in Soil Microbiology, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed Central, accessed July 18, 2025
Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed Central, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Direct Evidence Journal

Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed, accessed July 28, 2025,
Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed, accessed July 28, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France - PubMed Central

View Source
Preview of Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France | mSphere, accessed July 28, 2025
Biogeographical patterns of the soil fungal:bacterial ratio across France | mSphere, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - Frontiers, accessed July 29, 2025

View Source
Preview of Changes in Soil Microbial Community Structure Influenced by Agricultural Management Practices in a Mediterranean Agro-Ecosystem | PLOS One - Research journals, accessed August 5, 2025,
Changes in Soil Microbial Community Structure Influenced by Agricultural Management Practices in a Mediterranean Agro-Ecosystem | PLOS One - Research journals, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Changes in Soil Microbial Community Structure Influenced by Agricultural Management Practices in a Mediterranean Agro-Ecosystem | PLOS One - Research journals

View Source
Preview of Changing Fertilizer Management Practices in Sugarcane Production: Cane Grower Survey Insights - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025
Changing Fertilizer Management Practices in Sugarcane Production: Cane Grower Survey Insights - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Changing Fertilizer Management Practices in Sugarcane Production: Cane Grower Survey Insights - MDPI

View Source
Preview of Contrasting Soil pH Effects on Fungal and Bacterial Growth Suggest Functional Redundancy in Carbon Mineralization | Applied and Environmental Microbiology - ASM Journals, accessed July 28, 2025
Contrasting Soil pH Effects on Fungal and Bacterial Growth Suggest Functional Redundancy in Carbon Mineralization | Applied and Environmental Microbiology - ASM Journals, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support

Contrasting Soil pH Effects on Fungal and Bacterial Growth Suggest Functional Redundancy in Carbon Mineralization | Applied and Environmental Microbiology - ASM Journals, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Effects of Soil-Applied Fungicides on Sugarcane Root and Shoot Growth, Rhizosphere Microbial Communities, and Nutrient Uptake - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025
Effects of Soil-Applied Fungicides on Sugarcane Root and Shoot Growth, Rhizosphere Microbial Communities, and Nutrient Uptake - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Effects of Soil-Applied Fungicides on Sugarcane Root and Shoot Growth, Rhizosphere Microbial Communities, and Nutrient Uptake - MDPI

View Source
Preview of Functional Potential of Soil Microbial Communities and Their Subcommunities Varies with Tree Mycorrhizal Type and Tree Diversity | Microbiology Spectrum, accessed July 28, 2025
Functional Potential of Soil Microbial Communities and Their Subcommunities Varies with Tree Mycorrhizal Type and Tree Diversity | Microbiology Spectrum, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative agriculture augments bacterial community structure for a healthier soil and agriculture - Frontiers

View Source
Preview of Functional Redundancy in Soil Microbial Community Based on Metagenomics Across the Globe - Frontiers, accessed July 28, 2025
Functional Redundancy in Soil Microbial Community Based on Metagenomics Across the Globe - Frontiers, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management

View Source
Preview of Fungal to Bacterial Ratios: What and Why? - Ward Laboratories, Inc., accessed July 18, 2025
Fungal to Bacterial Ratios: What and Why? - Ward Laboratories, Inc., accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Fungal/bacterial ratios in grassland with contrasting nitrogen management - Wageningen University & Research, accessed July 28, 2025
Fungal/bacterial ratios in grassland with contrasting nitrogen management - Wageningen University & Research, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Direct Evidence Journal

Fungal to Bacterial Ratios: What and Why? - Ward Laboratories, Inc.

View Source
Preview of Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 19, 2025,
Fungal/bacterial ratios in grasslands with contrasting nitrogen management, accessed July 19, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC

View Source
Preview of Fungi to bacteria ratio: Historical misinterpretations and potential implications | Request PDF, accessed July 18, 2025
Fungi to bacteria ratio: Historical misinterpretations and potential implications | Request PDF, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of How to improve the Fungi : Bacteria Ratio in soil | Plant & Soil Food | Herbi.nz, accessed July 28, 2025
How to improve the Fungi : Bacteria Ratio in soil | Plant & Soil Food | Herbi.nz, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - PMC - PubMed Central

View Source
Preview of Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC, accessed July 18, 2025
Mechanisms and implications of bacterial–fungal competition for soil resources - PMC, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - Frontiers, accessed July 23, 2025

View Source
Preview of Microbial Community in the Composting Process and Its Positive Impact on the Soil Biota in Sustainable Agriculture - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025
Microbial Community in the Composting Process and Its Positive Impact on the Soil Biota in Sustainable Agriculture - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Microbial Community in the Composting Process and Its Positive Impact on the Soil Biota in Sustainable Agriculture - MDPI

View Source
Preview of Regenerative agriculture augments bacterial community structure for a healthier soil and agriculture - Frontiers, accessed July 28, 2025
Regenerative agriculture augments bacterial community structure for a healthier soil and agriculture - Frontiers, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative agriculture augments bacterial community structure for a healthier soil and agriculture - Frontiers

View Source
Preview of Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,
Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed August 5, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health - MDPI, accessed July 20, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Requirements for sugarcane growers | Environment, land and water, accessed July 28, 2025
Requirements for sugarcane growers | Environment, land and water, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Regulatory Framework Government

(PDF) Best management practices for maintaining water quality in sugarcane cultivation

View Source
Preview of Revisiting the hypothesis that fungal-to-bacterial dominance characterizes turnover of soil organic matter and nutrients - Harvard Forest, accessed July 28, 2025
Revisiting the hypothesis that fungal-to-bacterial dominance characterizes turnover of soil organic matter and nutrients - Harvard Forest, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Revisiting the hypothesis that fungal-to-bacterial dominance characterizes turnover of soil organic matter and nutrients - Harvard Forest

View Source
Preview of SOIL BIOLOGICAL HEALTH—WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN WE IMPROVE IT? - Wet Tropics Plan, accessed July 18, 2025
SOIL BIOLOGICAL HEALTH—WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN WE IMPROVE IT? - Wet Tropics Plan, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Requirements for sugarcane growers | Environment, land and water

View Source
Preview of Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon ... - Frontiers, accessed July 18, 2025
Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon ... - Frontiers, accessed July 18, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

How Biodiversity-Friendly Is Regenerative Grazing? - Frontiers

View Source
Preview of Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025
Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon Cycling - PMC - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Direct Evidence Journal

The fungal-bacterial ratio for soil health - Farmer's Weekly, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of Soil Health Program | Boost Sugarcane Productivity, accessed July 18, 2025,
Soil Health Program | Boost Sugarcane Productivity, accessed July 18, 2025,
Contextual Support

National Soil Strategy, accessed July 16, 2025,

View Source
Preview of Soil Properties Drive Microbial Community Structure in a Large Scale Transect in South Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
Soil Properties Drive Microbial Community Structure in a Large Scale Transect in South Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Properties Drive Microbial Community Structure in a Large Scale Transect in South Eastern Australia - ResearchGate, accessed July 8, 2025

View Source
Preview of Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed July 28, 2025
Tagged with ratio of fungi to bacteria - The Prairie Ecologist, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Analyzing your Fungal to Bacterial Ratio Results - microBIOMETER, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source
Preview of The Biogeography of Soil Bacteria in Australia Exhibits Greater Resistance to Climate Change Than Fungi - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025
The Biogeography of Soil Bacteria in Australia Exhibits Greater Resistance to Climate Change Than Fungi - PubMed Central, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support Journal

Soil and Landscape Grid National Soil Attribute Maps - Soil Bacteria and Fungi Beta Diversity (3" resolution) - Release 1 - Research Data Australia

View Source
Preview of The fungal-bacterial ratio for soil health - Farmer's Weekly, accessed July 28, 2025
The fungal-bacterial ratio for soil health - Farmer's Weekly, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

The fungal-bacterial ratio for soil health - Farmer's Weekly

View Source
Preview of Things you need to know about the Fungal to Bacterial Ratio (F:B) - MicroBiometer, accessed July 28, 2025
Things you need to know about the Fungal to Bacterial Ratio (F:B) - MicroBiometer, accessed July 28, 2025
Methodology Source GreyLiterature

Australian dryland soils are acidic and nutrient-depleted, and have unique microbial communities compared with other drylands - PMC, accessed July 23, 2025

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Preview of Western Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 28, 2025
Western Australia - Wikipedia, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Western Australia - Wikipedia

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Preview of Western Australian Soil Health Strategy 2021-2031 - SoilsWest, accessed July 12, 2025,
Western Australian Soil Health Strategy 2021-2031 - SoilsWest, accessed July 12, 2025,
Contextual Support Journal

SOIL BIOLOGICAL HEALTH—WHAT IS IT AND HOW CAN WE IMPROVE IT? - Wet Tropics Plan

View Source
Preview of What are the optimal fungal to bacterial biomass ratios for different crops? - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
What are the optimal fungal to bacterial biomass ratios for different crops? - ResearchGate, accessed July 28, 2025
Contextual Support GreyLiterature

Soil Fungal:Bacterial Ratios Are Linked to Altered Carbon ... - Frontiers, accessed July 21, 2025

View Source

Context

  • Region Australia
  • Biome Tropical & Subtropical Maritime Islands
  • Land Use Agricultural Crop Production
  • Assessment Pristine Reference
  • Evidence Type ReferenceCondition

Lifecycle

  • Status Active
  • Version 1
  • Effective From 31 May 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 0.5 index. No upper detrimental threshold — higher values are always better up to natural saturation. This benchmark represents the best available condition for agricultural crop production in Australia's Tropical & Subtropical Maritime Islands, derived via a proxy-based approach due to a lack of direct data.

Related Benchmarks

Other benchmarks in the AUS-TMI-AGR-SFB family.

0.5 index Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Not Stated
MaximumOnly Active v1
— index Moderate
Agricultural Crop Production · Not Stated
OptimalRange Active v1