Soil Macrofauna Abundance in the Intercropping of Mangifera Indica with Aromatic Plants

Abstract

Soil macrofauna such as earthworms, beetles, ants, and centipedes are an important aspect of soil health as they help in the breakdown of plant residue to provide natural resources such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous into the soil. Monocropping practice uses heavy machinery, pesticides, and herbicides to maintain farm productivity, which negatively impacts soil macrofauna abundance. Thus, intercropping is a sustainable practice for farmers to maintain soil health with the minimal use of external input, which can do more harm to the soil ecosystem over a long period of time. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of intercropping mango with pandan and lemongrass on soil macrofauna density compared to mango monocrop. The field experiment consisted of mango, mango-pandan intercrops, and mango-lemongrass intercrops. Soil macrofauna was assessed using the tropical soil biology and fertility (TSBF) monolith method. The result showed that intercropping of mango-lemongrass and mango-pandan had higher soil macrofauna density compared with mango monocrop due to the presence of intercrops providing more natural resources and a better soil environment for soil macrofauna to grow and reproduce. However, further long-term research is needed to reinforce these findings.