Appendices - Soil Essentials: Managing Your Farm's Primary Asset - page 167

Appendix 22. Readily available water required
Source: NSW Agriculture. kPa is pressure in kilopascals.

Soil texture Readily available water mm/mm

A B C D E

-8 to -20 kPa -8 to -40 kPa -8 to -60 kPa -8 to -100 kPa -8 to -1500 kPa

Sand 35 35 35 40 60

Sandy loam 45 60 65 70 115

Loam 50 70 85 90 150

Clay loam 30 55 65 80 150

Light clay 25 45 55 70 150

Medium,
heavy clay

24 45 55 65 140

Column A is for water sensitive crops such as vegetables.
Column B is for most fruit crops and table grapes.
Column C is for wine grapes, most perennial pastures and irrigated field crops.
Column D is for lucerne, annual pastures and winter cereals.
Column E is for crops suitable for new rainfall areas.