Soil Potassium
Benchmark Value
Scoring Curve
This curve shows how a field measurement for this indicator would score across all available benchmark forms in this context.
Evidence & Context
A benchmark range of 120–200 mg/kg is proposed for sandy to loamy soils.
Available potassium (Colwell K or equivalent exchangeable K) in soil
This benchmark represents the range of available potassium in sandy to loamy soils within a healthy, self-sustaining native ecosystem in temperate semi-arid shrublands and open woodlands, indicating a stable, non-depleted state suitable for conservation areas.
This range represents a state of high ecological function, sufficient to support the diverse flora and resilience of the ecosystem, without being artificially inflated.
Sources (1)
Understanding soil tests for pastures
View SourceSupporting Sources (48)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
(PDF) Mineral Nutrition of Plants in Australia's Arid Zone - ResearchGate
View SourceThe Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS) – operating a regional scale monitoring system - ResearchGate, accessed July 24, 2025
View Source(PDF) The Brigalow Catchment Study: V*. Clearing and burning ..., accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceSustainable Forest Management Framework - Native forest and plantations - Government of Western Australia, accessed July 30, 2025
View SourceAustralian ecoregions - ecoxplore, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceBioturbation by bandicoots facilitates seedling growth by altering soil properties - Threatened Species Recovery Hub, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceBrigalow within the Brigalow Belt South, Nandewar and Darling Riverine Plains bioregions - Identification guidelines for Endange, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceCation Exchange Capacity - Local Land Services, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceCombining functional traits, the environment and multiple surveys to, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceSalinity - Murray–Darling Basin Authority
View SourceCoolgardie Woodlands | One Earth, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceLong-term rundown of plant-available potassium in Western Australia requires a re-evaluation of potassium management for grain production: a review - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 17, 2025,
View SourceEcoregions – Australian Acoustic Observatory | A2O, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceEyre and Yorke Mallee | One Earth, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceFire and Its Interactions With Other Drivers Shape a Distinctive, Semi-Arid 'Mallee' Ecosystem - Frontiers, accessed August 28, 2025,
View SourceFood safety and standard of Australian Native plants - ResearchGate, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceGreat Western Woodlands - Wikipedia, accessed July 12, 2025,
View SourceHattah-Kulkyne National Park and Murray-Kulkyne Park - Visitor Guide - Parks Victoria, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceHow to convert cmol/kg to mg/kg? - ResearchGate, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceI*. Overview of a 40-year study of the effects of land clearing in the brigalow bioregion of Australia - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Soil Research, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceLand systems, soils and vegetation of the southern Goldfields and Great Western Woodlands of Western Australia - Volume 1 - DBCA Library, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceLong-term rundown of plant-available potassium in Western Australia requires a re-evaluation of potassium management for grain production: a review - CSIRO PUBLISHING | Crop and Pasture Science, accessed July 24, 2025
View SourceMultiple adaptive responses of Australian native perennial legumes with pasture potential to grow in phosphorus- and moisture-limited environments, accessed July 16, 2025,
View SourceOil mallee plantings and arthropod biodiversity in ... - Curtin University, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceRangelands Living Skin | .Meat & Livestock Australia - MLA, accessed July 28, 2025,
View SourceSoil fertility in grazing systems: Manage potassium to manage nitrogen - Crops and Soils, accessed July 28, 2025,
View SourcePotassium and sulphur - emerging deficiencies in the southern region - GRDC
View SourcePotassium Control of Plant Functions: Ecological and Agricultural Implications - MDPI
View SourcePotassium Deficiency — Research - Department of Plant Science, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceWhat are the optimum nutrient targets for pastures? - Soil Health Knowledgebase, accessed July 28, 2025,
View SourcePotassium: A Vital Regulator of Plant Responses and Tolerance to Abiotic Stresses - MDPI, accessed July 28, 2025,
View SourceSoil and Landscape Grid of Australia - CSIRO, accessed August 1, 2025
View SourceSoil and Landscape Grid of Australia - esoil.io, accessed July 26, 2025,
View SourceSoil Fertility Trends. An Analysis of Soil Data from the Murray Mallee ..., accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceSoil Group Chapters - G-Misc. - Enviro Data SA, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceLime squeezes new life into perennial pastures | .Meat & Livestock Australia - MLA, accessed July 28, 2025,
View SourceSoil management - Landscape South Australia - Eyre Peninsula, accessed July 23, 2025
View SourceUnderstanding soil tests for pastures | Soil | Farm management ..., accessed July 17, 2025,
View SourceV*. Clearing and burning brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) in Queensland, Australia, temporarily increases surface soil fertility prior to nutrient decline under cropping or grazing - CSIRO Publishing, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceSoil Science Spotlight - Organic Fertilizer Recommendations, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceSoils and the Below-ground Interactions that Shape Australian vegetation - ResearchGate, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceSoutheast Australia temperate savanna - Wikipedia
View SourceSubsoil testing required to detect the rundown of soil potassium to deficient levels for wheat production on loam-textured soils - ResearchGate
View Source1301.0 - ABS Feature Articles, 1966 - Australian Bureau of Statistics, accessed July 28, 2025,
View SourceThe Southwest Australia Ecoregion - Bibbulmun Track, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceVegetation condition assessment of the semi-arid woodlands of Murray-Sunset National Park, Victoria. | Request PDF - ResearchGate, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceWater Balance and Soil Fertility Characteristics of Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) Lands Before and After Forest Clearing - UKnowledge, accessed July 13, 2025
View SourceScanlan, C. A., et al. (2013). Soil Quality: 10 Plant Nutrition. CCMA Soil Health Knowledge Base.
View Source