Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC)

AUS-TMI-AGR-SEC General Moderate confidence

Benchmark Value

0.4 dS/m
Range: 0.32 to 0.42 dS/m
Thresholds: Lower: 0.15, Upper: 1.7
Optimal Range: 0.32 to 0.42
Direction: Higher is desirable ↑
Form: Point

Evidence & Context

The resulting benchmark of 0.4 dS/m reflects a condition where soil possesses sufficient soluble nutrients to support healthy plant and microbial life but remains well below levels that would indicate unnatural salt accumulation or pose a salinity risk.

Metric Definition:

Soil Electrical Conductivity (EC) is a measure of the ability of the soil solution to conduct an electrical current, reflecting the concentration of soluble salts in the soil.

Benchmark Definition:

The benchmark is defined as the soil electrical conductivity level representing high environmental health in agricultural systems, balancing nutrient availability and salinity stress.

Justification:

The benchmark is strongly anchored in real-world field data from an unmanaged ecosystem within the target biome and supported by established soil science principles and crop-specific physiological data from analogous agricultural regions.

Sources (3)

Preview of Characteristics of Coral Cay Soils at Coringa-Herald Coral Sea Islands - ResearchGate
Characteristics of Coral Cay Soils at Coringa-Herald Coral Sea Islands - ResearchGate Journal

Characteristics of Coral Cay Soils at Coringa-Herald Coral Sea Islands - ResearchGate

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Preview of Salinity and mulching in banana production - Yara Australia
Salinity and mulching in banana production - Yara Australia GreyLiterature

Salinity and mulching in banana production - Yara Australia

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Preview of Soil Analysis Methods and Results Interpretation ... - CSIRO Research
Soil Analysis Methods and Results Interpretation ... - CSIRO Research Journal

Soil Analysis Methods and Results Interpretation ... - CSIRO Research

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Supporting Sources (1)

Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.

Preview of To evaluate the values of electrical conductivity and growth parameters of apple saplings in nursery fields - CiteSeerX
To evaluate the values of electrical conductivity and growth parameters of apple saplings in nursery fields - CiteSeerX
Contextual Support

To evaluate the values of electrical conductivity and growth parameters of apple saplings in nursery fields - CiteSeerX

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 19 Mar 2026

Notes

Lower Critical Threshold: 0.15 dS/m. Upper Detrimental Threshold: 1.7 dS/m. The benchmark is a synthesized estimate due to lack of direct data from regeneratively managed farms in the biome. The optimal range balances nutrient retention and salinity stress. RangeFixup applied 2026-03-21 22:21 UTC: LowerBound: 0.32 → 0.2; OptimalRangeLow: 0.2 → 0.32; OptimalRangeHigh: 0.8 → 0.42; UpperBound: 0.42 → 0.8 [Migration] Original wider evidence range: 0.2 – 0.8 (retained OptimalRange: 0.32 – 0.42)