The Effectiveness of Implementing Agroforestry Systems in Improving Soil Quality
DOI:
10.29303/jbt.v25i4b.9374Published:
2025-11-13Downloads
Abstract
Intensive annual farming practices can damage soil structure, reduce soil organic matter content, and cause soil erosion. This condition results in decreased soil fertility, which in turn affects agricultural productivity. Collective efforts are needed to adopt environmentally friendly agricultural practices to improve soil quality. The purpose of this article is to determine the effectiveness of implementing agroforestry systems in improving soil quality. The method used in this writing is a literature study conducted by collecting data from various sources such as scientific journals, books, seminar proceedings, and so on. This literature review found that increasing tree diversity in complex agroforestry systems significantly increased soil organic carbon in the soil layer. Compared to bare land, agroforestry systems showed significant increases in soil organic carbon and accessible nutrients. Improving soil health and ecosystem function requires microbial diversity, biological activity, and the production and preservation of soil organic carbon, all of which are facilitated by agroforestry systems. Agroforestry systems, which combine food crops with tree crops, offer ecological services such as increasing fertility, reducing erosion, and improving the physical, chemical, and biological quality of the soil. The conclusion is that agroforestry systems are effective in improving soil quality.
Keywords:
Agroforestry Soil Quality Soil Fertility Soil Organic CarbonReferences
Ankita, C., & Shilpi, R. (2020). Microbial Diversity In Selected Agroforestry Systems Of Central Rajasthan. International Journal Of Pharma And Bio Sciences, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.22376/ijpbs/lpr.2020.1 0.5.L65-73
Delgado, A. R. (2022). Land Recovery and Soil Management with Agroforestry Systems. Spanish Journal of Soil Science, 12,10457. https://doi.org/10.3389/sjss.2022.10457
Du, X., Jian, J., Du, C., & Stewart, R. D. (2022). Conservation management decreases surface runoff and soil erosion. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 10(2), 188–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.08.0 01
Eddy, W. C., & Yang, W. H. (2022). Improvements in soil health and soil carbon sequestration by an agroforestry for food production system. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 333, 107945. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2022.1079 45
Elrys, A. S., Uwiragiye, Y., Zhang, Y., Abdel- Fattah, M. K., Chen, Z., Zhang, H., Meng, L., Wang, J., Zhu, T., Cheng, Y., Zhang, J., Cai, Z., Chang, S. X., & Müller, C. (2022). Expanding agroforestry can increase nitrate retention and mitigate the global impact of a leaky nitrogen cycle in croplands. Nature Food, 4(1), 109–121. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-022- 00657-x
Eng, K. M. P. (2024) Soil Erosion Causes and Effects. Fahad, S., Chavan, S. B., Chichaghare, A. R., Uthappa, A. R., Kumar, M., Kakade, V., Pradhan, A., Jinger, D., Rawale, G., Yadav, D. K., Kumar, V., Farooq, T. H., Ali, B., Sawant, A. V., Saud, S., Chen, S., & Poczai, P. (2022). Agroforestry Systems for Soil Health Improvement and Maintenance. Sustainability, 14(22), 14877. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214877 Fan & Pavlidis, G. (2023). Investigation of agroforestry systems as measures of pollution reduction from fertilizers and pesticides in soils https://doi.org/10.12681/eadd/53927
Fahad, S., Chavan, S. B., Chichaghare, A. R., Uthappa, A. R., Kumar, M., Kakade, V., ... & Poczai, P. (2022). Agroforestry systems for soil health improvement and maintenance. Sustainability, 14(22), 14877.
Haglund, E., Ndjeunga, J., Snook, L., & Pasternak, D. (2011). Dry land tree management for improved household livelihoods: Farmer managed natural regeneration in Niger. Journal of Environmental Management, 92(7), 1696–1705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.0 1.027
Hombegowda, H. C., Adhikary, P. P., Jakhar, P., & Madhu, M. (2022). Alley cropping agroforestry system for improvement of soil health. In Soil health and environmental sustainability: application of geospatial technology (pp. 529-549). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Jeevanantham, S., Saravanan, A., Hemavathy, R. V., Kumar, P. S., Yaashikaa, P. R., & Yuvaraj, D. (2019). Removal of toxic pollutants from water environment by phytoremediation: a survey on application and future prospects. Environmental technology & innovation, 13, 264-276.
Kim, D.-G., & Isaac, M. E. (2022). Nitrogen dynamics in agroforestry systems. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 42(4), 60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-022- 00791-7
Kremer, R. J. (2021). Soil Health Ecosystem Services of Agroforestry. In R. P. Udawatta & S. Jose (Eds.), Agroforestry and Ecosystem Services (pp. 49–63). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80060-4_3
Li, X., Ge, T., Chen, Z., Wang, S., Ou, X., Wu, Y., Chen, H., & Wu, J. (2020). Enhancement of soil carbon and nitrogen stocks by abiotic and microbial pathways in three rubber‐based agroforestry systems in Southwest China. Land Degradation & Development, 31(16), 2507–2515. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3625 Marques, M. A., Anjos, L. H. C. D., & Sanchez
Marques, M. A., Anjos, L. H. C. D., & Sanchez Delgado, A. R. (2022). Land recovery and soil management with agroforestry systems. Spanish Journal of Soil Science, 12, 10457.
Mesfin, S., & Haileselassie, H. (2022). Evaluation of soil physico-chemical properties as affected by canopies of scattered agroforestry trees on croplands. South African Journal of Plant and Soil, 39(2), 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/02571862.2022.2 056644
Muhie, S. H. (2022). Novel approaches and practices to sustainable agriculture. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 10, 100446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2022.10044 6
Padovan, M. P., Brook, R. M., Barrios, M., Cruz- Castillo, J. B., Vilchez-Mendoza, S. J., Costa, A. N., & Rapidel, B. (2018). Water loss by transpiration and soil evaporation in coffee shaded by Tabebuia rosea Bertol. And Simarouba glauca dc. Compared to unshaded coffee in sub- optimal environmental conditions. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 248,1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2017. 08.036
Pan, C., Shrestha, A., Innes, J. L., Zhou, G., Li, N., Li, J., He, Y., Sheng, C., Niles, J.-O., & Wang, G. (2022). Key challenges and approaches to addressing barriers in forest carbon offset projects. Journal of Forestry Research, 33(4), 1109–1122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-022-01488-z
Pavlidis, G., Karasali, H., & Tsihrintzis, V. A. (2020). Pesticide and fertilizer pollution reduction in two alley cropping agroforestry cultivating systems. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 231(5), 241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-020- 04590-2
Rosati, A., Borek, R., & Canali, S. (2021). Agroforestry and organic agriculture. Agroforestry Systems, 95(5), 805–821. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-020- 00559-6
Shit, P. K., Adhikary, P. P., Bhunia, G. S., & Sengupta, D. Soil Health and Environmental Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/978- 3-031-09270-1_23
Singh, S., Bhoi, T. K., & Vyas, V. (2023). Interceding microbial biofertilizers in agroforestry system for enhancing productivity. In Plant growth promoting microorganisms of arid region (pp. 161-183). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19- 4124-5_8
Srivastava, Dr. P., Giri, N., & Mandal, D. (2019). 137 Cs technology for soil erosion and soil carbon redistribution. Current Science, 116, 888–889. Suryanto, P. (2006). Model Bera dalam Sistem Agroforestri.
Tonucci, R. G., Vogado, R. F., Silva, R. D., Pompeu, R. C. F. F., Oda-Souza, M., & Souza, H. A. D. (2023). Agroforestry system improves soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in depth after land-use changes in the Brazilian semi-arid region. Revista Brasileira de Ciência Do Solo, 47, e0220124. https://doi.org/10.36783/18069657rbcs2 0220124
Varshitha, M., Chaitanya, T., Neelima, T. L., & Jayasree, G. (2023). Soil Characteristics under Different Agroforestry Land Use Systems in Semiarid Region. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 13(9), 562-573. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2023/v13i9 2271
Wartenberg, A. C., Blaser, W. J., Roshetko, J. M., Van Noordwijk, M., & Six, J. (2020). Soil fertility and Theobroma cacao growth and productivity under commonly intercropped shade-tree species in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Plant and Soil,453(1–2), 87–104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-03921 x
Wattimena, C., Latupapua, L., & Sahureka, M. (2024). Penerapan Agroforestry untuk Meningkatkan Kesejahteraan Petani dan Konservasi Alam di Negeri Liliboy, Kecamatan Leihitu Barat, Kabupaten Maluku Tengah. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Inovasi Indonesia, 2(1), 183-190.
Zazai, K. G., Wani, O. A., Ali, A., & Devi, M. (2018). Phytoremediation and carbon sequestrati on potential of agroforestry systems: a review. Int J Curr Microbiol App Sci, 7, 2447-2457. 10.20546/ijcmas.2018.701.295
Zhu, X., Liu, W., Chen, J., Bruijnzeel, L. A., Mao, Z., Yang, X., ... & Jiang, X. J. (2020). Reductions in water, soil and nutrient losses and pesticide pollution in agroforestry practices: a review of evidence and processes. Plant and Soil, 453(1), 45-86. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11104-019-04377-3
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sabti Gina Bidadari, M. Taufik Fauzi, A. A. Sudharmawan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Jurnal Biologi Tropis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The copyright of the received article shall be assigned to the author as the owner of the paper. The intended copyright includes the right to publish the article in various forms (including reprints). The journal maintains the publishing rights to the published articles.
Authors are permitted to disseminate published articles by sharing the link/DOI of the article at the journal. Authors are allowed to use their articles for any legal purposes deemed necessary without written permission from the journal with an acknowledgment of initial publication to this journal.
