Haney Soil Health Tool

The Haney Soil Health Test is an integrated soil‑health assessment developed by USDA scientist Rick Haney. It measures plant‑available nutrients, water‑soluble organic carbon and nitrogen, and soil respiration to give a more complete picture of biological and chemical soil health than many routine soil tests

On a Haney Soil Health Test, SHC (or the Soil Health Score) is a single number, usually on a scale of 0–50, that summarizes microbial activity and the balance of carbon and nitrogen in your soil. It is calculated from water‑extractable organic carbon (WEOC), water‑extractable organic nitrogen (WEON), and 24‑hour soil respiration (CO₂), so higher SHC values generally indicate more active, biologically healthy soil.

On a Haney test, MAC% stands for Microbially Active Carbon percentage. It shows what fraction of the water‑extractable organic carbon (WEOC) is being actively used by microbes over the test period, as measured by soil respiration (CO₂ burst).

On the Haney test, CO₂‑C is the amount of carbon dioxide–carbon (ppm) released by soil microbes during a 24‑hour respiration test after a dried, rewetted soil sample. It reflects how much microbial activity is occurring in the soil: higher CO₂‑C usually means more active microbes and greater potential for nutrient cycling, while very low values suggest limited biological activit

The C:N ratio is the relationship between soil organic carbon (C) and organic nitrogen (N) measured using the Haney soil health test. It reflects how balanced soil biology is in terms of energy (carbon) and protein (nitrogen).

You can submit samples through our trusted partner:
REGEN Ag Lab