Regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems

Rubber agroforestry is an agricultural system that integrates rubber trees with other compatible crops or trees to optimize land use, improve soil fertility, and enhance biodiversity. This study compares the soil richness of Rubber Agroforestry (RF) plantations with varying species diversity and Rub...

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Main Authors: Tongkaemkaew, Uraiwan, Commons, Michael, Verhofste, Robbe, Lin Phooi, Chooi, Wonglom, Prisana, Bua-Khwan, Benchawan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thaksin University 2025
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121053/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121053/1/121053.pdf
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author Tongkaemkaew, Uraiwan
Commons, Michael
Verhofste, Robbe
Lin Phooi, Chooi
Wonglom, Prisana
Bua-Khwan, Benchawan
author_facet Tongkaemkaew, Uraiwan
Commons, Michael
Verhofste, Robbe
Lin Phooi, Chooi
Wonglom, Prisana
Bua-Khwan, Benchawan
author_sort Tongkaemkaew, Uraiwan
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Rubber agroforestry is an agricultural system that integrates rubber trees with other compatible crops or trees to optimize land use, improve soil fertility, and enhance biodiversity. This study compares the soil richness of Rubber Agroforestry (RF) plantations with varying species diversity and Rubber Monoculture (RM) plantations. The research was conducted in Phatthalung Province, Thailand, a region with a long history of rubber agroforestry, though some areas are cultivated as rubber monocultures. Soil samples were collected at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm depths and analyzed for physical characteristics, organic matter content, and nutrient composition. The findings indicate that soil quality is influenced by plantation type, soil depth, and locality. RM and RF plantations exhibit differences in soil physical properties, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (OM), total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium content. Across all parameters studied, except phosphorus, RF plantations demonstrated higher soil fertility indicators than RM plantations. Additionally, the NDVI analysis from 2017 to 2023 showed that RF plantations had a plant cover of 63%, compared to 58% in RM plantations. The higher plant density in RF plantations contributed to organic matter accumulation, thereby enhancing soil fertility. Conclusion: The study highlights that rubber agroforestry practices contribute to increased soil nutrient levels and organic matter content, underscoring their potential benefits for sustainable land management.
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spelling upm-1210532025-10-23T08:09:04Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121053/ Regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems Tongkaemkaew, Uraiwan Commons, Michael Verhofste, Robbe Lin Phooi, Chooi Wonglom, Prisana Bua-Khwan, Benchawan Rubber agroforestry is an agricultural system that integrates rubber trees with other compatible crops or trees to optimize land use, improve soil fertility, and enhance biodiversity. This study compares the soil richness of Rubber Agroforestry (RF) plantations with varying species diversity and Rubber Monoculture (RM) plantations. The research was conducted in Phatthalung Province, Thailand, a region with a long history of rubber agroforestry, though some areas are cultivated as rubber monocultures. Soil samples were collected at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm depths and analyzed for physical characteristics, organic matter content, and nutrient composition. The findings indicate that soil quality is influenced by plantation type, soil depth, and locality. RM and RF plantations exhibit differences in soil physical properties, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (OM), total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium content. Across all parameters studied, except phosphorus, RF plantations demonstrated higher soil fertility indicators than RM plantations. Additionally, the NDVI analysis from 2017 to 2023 showed that RF plantations had a plant cover of 63%, compared to 58% in RM plantations. The higher plant density in RF plantations contributed to organic matter accumulation, thereby enhancing soil fertility. Conclusion: The study highlights that rubber agroforestry practices contribute to increased soil nutrient levels and organic matter content, underscoring their potential benefits for sustainable land management. Thaksin University 2025-04-01 Article PeerReviewed text en cc_by_nc_nd_4 http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121053/1/121053.pdf Tongkaemkaew, Uraiwan and Commons, Michael and Verhofste, Robbe and Lin Phooi, Chooi and Wonglom, Prisana and Bua-Khwan, Benchawan (2025) Regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems. ASEAN Journal of Scientific and Technological Reports, 28 (2). art. no. e255018. pp. 1-13. ISSN 2773-8752 https://ph02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/tsujournal/article/view/255018 10.55164/ajstr.v28i2.255018
spellingShingle Tongkaemkaew, Uraiwan
Commons, Michael
Verhofste, Robbe
Lin Phooi, Chooi
Wonglom, Prisana
Bua-Khwan, Benchawan
Regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems
title Regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems
title_full Regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems
title_fullStr Regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems
title_full_unstemmed Regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems
title_short Regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems
title_sort regeneration of soil fertility in relationship with the diversification of rubber agroforestry systems
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121053/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121053/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121053/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/121053/1/121053.pdf