Abstract Soil structure and soil organic carbon are key variables for the sustainability of agricultural production in tropical environments, yet their interactions with crop yield remain difficult to quantify. The objective of this study was to propose and evaluate the agricultural productivity and soil and water conservation index (APSWCI) as a tool to assess the sustainability of dual‐purpose corn ( Zea mays L.) production under different soil tillage systems and cover crops. Beyond index construction, the study specifically validated APSWCI performance by quantifying its added value relative to individual metrics, particularly grain yield, and by performing sensitivity analyses. A fuzzy inference system was used to integrate physical, chemical, biological, and agronomic indicators into a single composite index. Within‐system contrasts revealed that, under minimum tillage, the index exhibited the highest stability and consistency when pigeon pea ( Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) and pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.) preceded the corn crop, whereas under conventional tillage APSWCI values remained uniformly low across all cover crop species, and under no‐tillage cover crop identity exerted a comparatively stronger modulating influence on index performance. The ablation study revealed that while grain yield is the primary driver of the index (mean absolute rank shift MARS = 12.2), soil conservation attributes function as critical structural modulators (MARS = 5.8). Overall, APSWCI proved effective in identifying management scenarios in which soil and water conservation aligns with productivity, providing a more robust diagnostic framework than isolated yield or soil indicators.
Santos et al. (Sun,) studied this question.