• Introduction
• Weather and soil moisture monitoring observations
• Speedo assessments – change in overall soil moisture at a particular site.
• Speedo soil moisture graphs
  • Mallee
  • Wimmera
  • North Central
  • Northeast
  • Gippsland cropping
  • Southwest

The soil moisture monitoring (SMM) project, with the use of underground probes, provides real-time soil water content data to Victoria’s farmers.

Monitoring sites have been set up in cropping regions throughout the state by Agriculture Victoria.

The sites record soil water content at one source point from 30 centimetres (cm) down to 1 metre as a reference point for a paddock.

To access information provided in the graphs, log onto the Agriculture Victoria soil moisture monitoring dashboard.

No login or passwords required, and speedos are automatically updated and will represent the most recent rainfall.

Figure 1: March rainfall deciles for Victoria
The north-east, Pyrenees and alpine areas have been average or wetter for March but follow-up rainfall to assist germinating seedlings has been lacking. Isolated storms were experienced around Ouyen and parts of the country following the Murray River.

Figure 2. March rainfall totals
The eastern part of the state has had >25mm for March and volumes increase as you head further east. The western side of the state was drier, particularly the northern Wimmera/southern Mallee with <10mm.

Figure 3. December to end of March rainfall deciles

Summer rainfall plus the first month of Autumn have generally been below average in the cropping regions. In previous years, we have observed decile 5 rainfall conditions are not enough to improve deep soil moisture conditions. Decile 3 and lower reflect the dry top horizon status over the western half of the state.

Figure 4. November rainfall deciles

The last general rain having the largest effect on soil moisture infiltration was in late November and is now over 4 months ago. The depth rainfall got to at the sites were observed as listed below

Soil moisture measurements displayed on the Agriculture Victoria dashboard. The monitoring of pasture sites highlights the dry conditions typically experienced during this time of the year.

Some of the Mallee and the northeast have had varying but limited percentage increases to soil moisture in the past month, which has largely been a result of one weather system on 20 March. Wimmera, North central and Southwest Victoria remain dry.

Note – use extensionaus.com.au/soilmoisturemonitoring to activate your preferred reference monitoring location soil moisture percentage. 

All sites soil moisture percentages 11 April including annual winter crop and non-cropped paddocks and perennial pastures.

The drop-down selection bar on bottom left-hand side of the map provides the option to either select crop or grazing sites.

Cropping sites are reviewed in more detail in the sections below.

Commissioned in Autumn 2024 and currently being calibrated. Individual sensors showing moisture infiltration down to 70cm in late November.

Ouyen recorded >75mm for week of 24 November to 1 December where rain connected to the unused deep moisture (80 – 100cm) providing a full deep profile for the 2025 winter crop.

Moisture built up to 80cm during late November 2024 after the wheat crop accessed moisture from 1 metre last spring.

Harvest rain has recharged the profile to 50cm and there is still some remaining deep moisture reserves the canola didn’t access last spring.

Wheat used the soil moisture reserves last year and at harvest time there was 25% moisture remaining.
There have been limited moisture improvements in the past 4 months.

Harvest rain has recharged the profile to 40cm and there still is some remaining mid profile moisture reserves the barley didn’t access last spring. Deep moisture levels are dry.

Wheat crop last year struggled to generate biomass in the dry growing season to develop sufficient root system to access the deep moisture. There were some small moisture improvements from harvest rain 4 months ago.

Lentils extracted moisture to 50cm last season. District cereal crops would have created a drier profile.
Soil classification indicates this soil can hold approximately 45 – 55mm plant available water in the top 30cm.
Harvest rain infiltrated down to 30cm but other areas in the district that received >100mm would have had greater infiltration.

Harvest rain has recharged the profile to 50cm and there is still some remaining deep moisture reserves after the frosted wheat was cut for hay in early October.

Harvest rain has recharged some of the profile to 30cm and below that depth there is limited plant available water due to the high biomass crop using most of the soil moisture reserves last spring.

Harvest rain has recharged the profile partially to 40cm and there is limited deep moisture reserves below that depth.

Modelled soil moisture at Elmore with the Soilwater app compared to moisture probe data. There were small improvements to the moisture profile at harvest time but over the past 4 months, most of that has been lost to evaporation.

Currently calibrating a new probe to speedo format but harvest rain infiltrated to 80cm. Modelled soil moisture at Youanmite with the Soilwater app indicates a similar soil moisture build up with the recent rain on 20 March.

Soil moisture reserves are low with the 3 rain events over summer generating cattle feed that was grazed and this depleted the plant available moisture each time.

Lake Bolac deep soil moisture reserves are at 24%.

Hamilton moisture reserves are rated at 10%.

4G modem connection has been corrected and data collection continues. Some rain on 20 March, had preferential flow down the dry cracked soil. Soil moisture percentage is 13% and this aligns with the other dry Southwest sites being <25%.