Abstract

We investigated the individual and combined effects of gypsum, elemental sulfur, vermicompost, biochar and microbial inoculation on soil health improvement in saline-sodium calcareous soils. is degenerating. We have developed linear and non-linear quantitative soil health frameworks to evaluate the effectiveness of remedial measures. Combined organic and chemical treatments; gypsum + vermicompost and elemental sulfur + vermicompost with increases of 134% (0.29 vs 0.68) and 116% (0.29 vs 0.62) in the nonlinear index, significantly increased the effectiveness of the modifications compared with the control. The increase in the overall health index of the soil ranged from 12 to 134%. Microbial inoculation further improves the treatment's impact on soil health. The soil health properties included in the indices explained 29–87% of the variance in wheat growth. The results provide insight into cost-effective and environmentally sustainable methods to rehabilitate degraded saline-sodium soils. In addition, soil health indicators are introduced that provide a quantitative assessment of soil treatment strategies.