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Assessment of soil quality (SQ) indicators that detect soil degradation in different land use and soil management systems (LUSMS) is desirable to achieve sustainable management strategies. The LUSMS identified for evaluation included natural forest (LS1), plantation of protected area (LS2), grazed land (LS3), teff (Eragrostis tef)‐faba bean (Vicia faba) rotation (LS4), teff‐wheat (Triticum vulgare)/barley (Hordeum vulgare) rotation (LS5), teff mono‐cropping (LS6), maize (Zea mays) mono‐cropping (LS7), and uncultivated marginal land (LS8). The SQ indicators were significantly influenced (p ≤ 0·05) by the LUSMS. The first four principal components with eigenvalue > 1 explain about 88% of the SQ variability across the LUSMS. The final principal component chosen indicators that mainly influence SQ variability were organic carbon, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, total phosphorus, silt, bulk density, and iron. In this study, a higher SQ was found in LS1 followed by LS2, whereas a seriously degraded SQ was observed in LS8 followed by LS6. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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