Assessing Soil Quality and Identifying Key Indicators in Agroforestry Systems in Sumberejo Village, Wonogiri Regency, Indonesia

Abstract

Assessing soil quality is integral to determining the appropriateness of soil management practices. Agroforestry, a tillage system that strategically integrates tree plantations with annual crops, has a potential impact on soil quality through the augmentation of soil organic matter derived from litter deposited on the soil surface. This study aims to calculate the soil quality index and evaluate the soil quality status across various agroforestry types. The research was conducted in Sumberejo Village, Batuwarno District, Wonogiri Regency, Indonesia, focusing on distinct agroforestry types: teak agroforestry, mahogany agroforestry, mixed agroforestry, and dry land-representing an area where agroforestry systems are not implemented. Fourteen indicators were utilized for the assessment, and subsequent Principal Component Analysis was employed to select the Minimum Data Set. The chosen indicators included soil macrofauna diversity index, cation exchange capacity (CEC), available soil phosphorus (P), total soil nitrogen (N), soil organic carbon (C), soil moisture, base saturation (BS), available soil potassium (K), particle density, pH, and porosity. The findings reveal that the soil quality across all four types of agroforestry is low, with mahogany agroforestry exhibiting the highest soil quality index at 0.35. The soil quality index for teak agroforestry, mixed agroforestry, and dry land was 0.33 each. The study concludes that the primary determinant of soil quality is the cation exchange capacity (CEC).