Abstract Numerical expression of agronomic practices will improve the communication and scientific evaluation of soil health management systems. The development of simple indices computed from management data to evaluate effects on soil health could improve communication with on‐farm and off‐farm stakeholders about practice adoption. Our objective was to develop simple soil health management indices that are practical and effective for assessing management impact on soil health indicators. This paper describes three numerical soil health management indices and their relationship to the fundamental principles of soil health management. Management and soil health data, collected as part of the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM), were used to calculate and evaluate these indices. The generalized tillage intensity rating (gTIR), the living roots index (LRI), and the soil armor index (SAI) are presented as numerical variables representing a gradient of adoption of soil health management practices. The study showed that differences in soil organic carbon concentration, aggregate stability, and carbon mineralization potential have significant relationship to changes in gTIR, LRI, and SAI. Indices varied in effectiveness for explaining changes in soil health indicators in the scope of the NAPESHM dataset with coefficients of determination ( r 2 ) of regressions between soil health indicators and management indices ranging from 0.13 to 0.42. The management indices are scalable for row crop production systems across North America. Management indices are appropriate for farmer‐facing evaluations, projects, or survey‐based assessments, and for documentation of agronomic management in scientific reporting of soil health studies.
Dada et al. (Fri,) studied this question.