Summary
Haney et al. (2018) present a theoretically grounded composite soil health assessment framework designed to operationalise soil health evaluation for practical farm-scale use. The authors integrate key biological and chemical soil parameters into a single diagnostic metric and report broad-scale application across diverse US farming systems. The work addresses a methodological gap in making soil health assessment accessible and actionable for agronomic decision-making.
Regional applicability
The Haney tool's applicability to UK soils and farming systems would depend on calibration to UK soil types, climates, and cropping patterns; the US-derived reference values and thresholds may require adaptation for temperate maritime conditions and UK-prevalent soil orders.
Key measures
Biologically active carbon, bioavailable nitrogen, composite soil health index scores across multiple farming systems
Outcomes reported
The study reports development and validation of a composite soil health diagnostic tool integrating biological and chemical parameters. Broad-scale application across contrasting US farming systems is documented, with emphasis on biologically active carbon and nitrogen fractions as diagnostic indicators.
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